Army Wife
by general wildcat
Summary: C&T Everything's about to change for Chad and Taylor. With Taylor now pregnant and a chance encounter with an old friend from the army, is Chad going back to the life they both hated so much? Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

a/n: Alright so what we have here is a new story. I wasn't entirely sure what else to name the story so the title was the first that came to mind. XD I don't intend for it to be very long, but I'm hoping it will keep you guys occupied and happy with what i usually write until I get started on the next Disney crossover. Like i said, that planned story is Princess and the Frog. (= Anyway, this is a story I planned for a couple of months and was just considering whether or not to start it. And i did decide to start it, it was just a matter of how to get started. So it's started off nice and slow before everything starts to pick up. XD And, today (June 14) is also Chaylorfan4eve1995's birthday and there was a request to write something for their birthday. It was either going to be a oneshot or a story, and i decided to go with story...since with everyone oneshot I start I end up deleting it and writing something else which then also gets deleted. XD Anyway Chaylorfan, if you're reading this tonight then happy birthday and hope you enjoy the story...and if you're reading it a day late, then happy day late birthday! I hope everyone who reads enjoys the story and I'd love to hear what you all think. c: ... And yes, we all know this will be Chaylor. Just being Captain Obvious up here for a minute. =P  
Disclaimer: I only own the characters i named myself. I do not own any HSM characters.

* * *

A lot of things could be learned about a person in the first five minutes. And if there was anything that a person could know about Taylor right away, it was that she was a very opinionated woman. She never drove away from a debate or hesitated to speak her mind. She lived by her very strong morals and beliefs. One thing she believed was that everything happens for a reason; sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. She has seen both sides of that coin. And especially when both sides happen at the same time, it's not pretty.

However, none of those thoughts circled through her head as she rushed down the streets of Albuquerque. She didn't think about how much could change over the years. She didn't think about how much work she'd have to get done. She didn't think about her past or her future. She didn't think about what to do when she got home. Right now the only thing going through her mind was to meet her friend on time for lunch. And as short of a trip it was from her workplace to the restaurant, that didn't seem to be close enough. Being forced to stop at a crosswalk and wait for the sign to say 'walk', Taylor looked down at the watches on her wrist. 1:02. Two minutes late.

As soon as she saw the light turn green, the young woman dashed across the street and just around the corner. She made her way up to the local TGI Friday's and just managed to get through the lunch rush at the front. Asking for her friend's name, the waiter told her where to go and she obeyed. Walking to the table, Taylor took the opportunity to fix her now out of place dark brown locks. Finally, she made her way towards the back and could see her longtime friend Gabriella waiting patiently for her.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." Taylor apologized as she sat across from her friend.

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle. One thing about Taylor that has always been the same and would never change was her need to be punctual. "Taylor it's just two minutes. It's not a big deal."

"It's never a big deal for you." Taylor shook her head at the Latina as she continued to struggle fixing her hair.

Gabriella removed the scrunchie from her wrist. "Will this help?" she offered.

"Thanks Gabs." Taylor replied, gratefully taking the hair accessory. She tied her hair, which was just about shoulder length, back with the scrunchie and into a ponytail. "I don't know how I survived four years without you in New York."

"Ancient history." Gabriella shook her head. "So what should we do for lunch? I was thinking of getting the Chicken Caesar Salad this time. Troy always said how good it was but I never thought of trying it. I just always played it safe and got my usual Buffalo Wings. But they're so spicy and yet they're so good…"

Taylor giggled. Leave it to Gabriella to cheer her up, one of the few things she found herself looking forward to in the day. "You know there's plenty more things to choose from, right?"

"I guess so. I mean, it's been so long since I ate here." Gabriella admitted. "With work and the family…"

"You're not the only one." Taylor shook her head. "Aside from the fast food lunches we've been eating on a weekly basis, I've barely had time to go out myself."

"You should go out more." Gabriella suggested. "You deserve some you time."

"I can't afford me time." She replied. "You know what I've got going on right now."

"Well, you're always welcome to join me and Troy on a night out." Her friend offered. "This Saturday we're planning on going to Red Lobster. They're having a couple's special night…" Realizing what she had just said, Gabriella quickly covered her mouth. She knew how sensitive a topic that could be to Taylor. "I mean…"

"It's fine." Taylor interrupted, her voice sounding as stoic as it usually did when such a subject came up. "Look, you and Troy go have your fun. You two deserve it. And Red Lobster's your special place. And if you need anyone to babysit…"

"Troy's parents already offered to take Charity that night." Gabriella admitted, referring to the little girl she had with Troy.

"Of course." Taylor nodded. She nonchalantly opened her menu and skimmed through the meals, trying to get any other thoughts out of her mind. "You know, you could always get something simple like the chicken fingers."

Gabriella shook her head. "You need to stop doing that."

"Stop doing what?" Taylor responded as though she were playing innocent.

"Changing the subject. You do that every time something sensitive comes up Tay." She sighed.

Taylor tilted her menu to lock eyes with her friend. "Can you blame me?"

"Not really, no." Gabriella admitted. "But can you blame me for worrying about you?"

Taylor sighed and slowly set her menu down. "No, I guess not. I'd do the same for you."

"I know you would, without a doubt." She nodded. "But you've been in New York for almost five years. You're back home now, with your friends and family."

"I had my family back in New York, too." Taylor pointed out.

"You know what I mean." Gabriella said. "I'm just trying to look out for you, like you always did with me." She then sighed and reached for her friend's hand. "You know you're more than my best friend. You're my sister. And as much as I love our weekly lunches together, sometimes I just get worried about the way you act. I know the last few years have been hard, but is there any chance I could suggest a fresh start someway somehow?"

Taylor looked at her friend warmly. Gabriella did mean the world to her, she really did. And she knew how much her friend cared. When it came to these girls, Taylor was always acting as the bigger sister. She would give Gabriella advice when she needed it; sure sometimes it would be the wrong advice or Taylor would get carried away, but most sisters do at some point. Likewise, Taylor would never go to Gabriella for advice out of pride; Taylor always assumed she could handle everything on her own. And even now she still believed she could. As much as Taylor wanted to deny Gabriella's love she knew she couldn't. Not to someone who meant so much to her. But that still didn't mean she couldn't argue against Gabriella's suggestions.

"Gabs you can suggest all you want." Taylor easily agreed. "But I'm still not going along with any suggestions on getting a fresh start. As far as I'm considered, I've already got it. New home, new job…"

"You're less than ten blocks away from where you lived in high school." Gabriella pointed out.

Taylor playfully rolled her eyes. "I appreciate you trying to help. And I'm sorry if it ever seems like I don't. But I'm a big girl, Gabriella. I can take care of myself. And I'm not the only person I'm taking care of."

Gabriella nodded knowingly. "This is the part where we skip to the hugging and go back to trying to figure out what to order before our lunch breaks are up."

"Exactly." Taylor replied with a smile. The girls then shared a brief, friendly hug before returning to their seats and looking back through the menu. "So…Chicken Caesar Salad, huh?"

Before Gabriella could respond, one of the waiters came over to take their order. "Good afternoon. I'm Sean and I'll be your waiter today. Can I start you ladies off with something to drink?"

"I'll just have a diet soda." Gabriella responded politely.

"Water for me, please." Taylor nodded.

The waiter nodded and wrote down their requests. "Would you like more time in choosing an appetizer?"

"We're just here for lunch, thanks." Taylor answered. "And yes, some more time would be great."

Sean smiled and leaned a little onto the table. "You know, we're having a special today. Buy food, get me free." He told them smoothly.

Gabriella and Taylor exchanged irritated glances. About half the time they went to a sit-in diner, something like this would happen. They knew what to do. Turning back to the waiter, each woman flashed one of their hands and showed him their ring finger before answering simultaneously, "We're taken."

With a rejected face, the waiter sighed and left to fetch their drinks.

Taylor sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I hate it when that happens."

As much as Gabriella hated to say it, she just felt the need to make yet another point. "You could always use a guy around the house."

Taylor glared at Gabriella, though not meaning to sound so harsh with her reply. "I had a guy. I have a little guy. I might be getting a furry guy. And I don't need another one around the house."

Luckily Gabriella had anticipated that, so she easily knew how to change the subject to a lighter mood. "What kind of furry guy? Dog? Cat? Hamster? Ferret?"

"No rodents." Taylor shook her head, getting distracted by the topic quite easily. "It would be so much easier to get a cat. The only place to take them to is the vet's. But you know how somebody's always wanted a dog."

Gabriella nodded in response as she saw their drinks come. She took a sip of her diet soda before responding. "He does know blue dogs don't exist right?"

"He'll know when he takes Biology and the most common blue pets are fish." Taylor stated.

"Speaking of fish, I see a nice big order of fish right here." Gabriella noticed. She turned her menu to Taylor and pointed at one of the pictures. "What do you say we split it?"

Taylor smiled and shook her head. "As delicious as that looks, you know we can't afford it with our lunch money. We agreed no more than fifteen dollars each."

"But Troy and I do share a credit card." Gabriella smirked playfully, pulling it out of her wallet and flashing it.

Taylor shook her head once more. "You know that goes against all marriage morals either of us believe in and stand for. Besides, it's wrong to use that outside of an emergency."

"It's emergency enough for me. My stomach is craving food right now." Gabriella responded. She then added with a wink, "After all Troy does owe for after he kept me up all night with his insane snoring."

Taylor shrugged her shoulders. As level headed as both of them were, even they were still allowed to bend the rules once in a while. Plus sometimes it did a really good job of distracting them from things they didn't want to think about. "Then let's not wait any longer." She called the waiter back and gave him their order. The girls then handed their menus to him and returned to their constant shifting conversation.

"You know what else we need to do?" Gabriella asked.

"What's that?" Taylor inquired as she sipped her water.

"We need to get CJ and Charity together for a play date." Gabriella replied.

"That would be a good idea." Taylor agreed. "What day is good for you?"

"Definitely a weekend. We don't want to pull them out of school." She responded.

"How about Sunday?" Taylor suggested. "Is your house ok?"

"Yeah, definitely." She nodded. "After lunch, say around two?"

"Works for me." Taylor replied.

It was true; not only did Gabriella have a child, but Taylor did as well. The children were only about a year apart; Taylor's being the elder one. First there was Charity. She was three years old and in nursery school. While a bit too young to see whether it was Troy with his athletic skills in golf and basketball or Gabriella and her brains that Charity took after, she was a total daddy's girl. As soon as Troy got home from work the little girl would be all over him. One thing was for sure about her, however; she had Gabriella's looks and Troy's heart.

CJ was Taylor's son. He was four years old and had just started kindergarten, which was one of the reasons why Taylor had decided to move them back to Albuquerque. CJ was born in New York, but Taylor knew that once he started school they would need a big support group, making her old hometown the perfect candidate. CJ wasn't book-smart nor athletic; he was a shy little kid and quite clingy to his mother. He almost never wanted to leave her side.

As for Taylor and Gabriella, they had been best friends since high school. They were both incredibly brilliant young women with a love for math and science. Both were now in their late twenty's. Having just moved back, Taylor took a simple job as a cashier. It was one of the last jobs that she had ever wanted to do, unless it was a part-time job but it was the best that she could do for the time being. Within time she was hoping to find something much better. Gabriella, on the other hand, had lived in New Mexico since high school. The only time she had left the state was to go to college. Troy was her high school sweetheart and local teen heartthrob. They had married after graduating college and were together since. Charity was their only child, though they were planning to have more, and was named after a close friend of theirs.

As their lunch arrived, Taylor and Gabriella continued talking about how their week was going and what they were doing with work. They then went on with the typical small talk and occasional girl talk. And once the waiter returned he once again tried hitting on them.

"Listen ladies, I'm sorry about earlier. How about I make it up to you?" Sean asked them smoothly. "Dinner on me. And let's not tell your husbands."

Gabriella got out of her seat and picked up the bill. "I think I'd rather pay for this with another waiter." She said before leaving the table.

Taylor nodded and stood up as well. She sent an icy glare Sean's way. "If my husband were here, you would be so sorry." She warned. "Don't even think about pulling something like that on either of us again." Then she turned on her heel and followed her friend.

"Wait…does that mean no tip?" he called just before the girls paid for their food and then left the restaurant.

"What a jerk." Taylor rolled her eyes.

"I know, right?" Gabriella agreed. "Hey, how much time do we have left before we need to get back to work?"

Taylor took another look at her watches. "Not much time. We need to be back in less than five minutes."

"Do you want me to give you a ride back?" Gabriella offered.

"No, it's alright." She shook her head. "I can walk back. Besides your place is further away and it's in the opposite direction I'm going."

"You sure?" Gabriella couldn't help but ask.

"I'm sure." She nodded. "But do you want to call later?"

"Of course." Gabriella responded. "We'll talk after dinner. And I'll let you know if anything comes up for Sunday instead."

"Alright." Taylor replied. "See you later." The girls then exchanged one last hug before rushing off in opposite directions to get back to work in time.


	2. Chapter 2

I own nothing HSM related except the characters i made up.

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There are two different kinds of people – the ones that speak their minds and the ones that keep to themselves. Taylor is on a very fine line between those kinds of people. Not once has she decided to shy away from an argument or debate, especially when the argument was about something she truly believed in. It was a blessing but also a curse. Taylor often made her point quite clear and made it very difficult for people to fight back. However, it could also sometimes cause her to say the wrong things at the wrong time. If she believed in what she was saying too much then she could end up hurting someone's feelings in the process. However when it came to her own feelings, Taylor almost never talked about them. She was a strong independent woman who refused to show anyone her vulnerabilities. Sure, there were times where she could easily tell Gabriella how she was feeling; but overall, Taylor saw herself as the one to give Gabriella advice when she needed it, and Taylor would even refuse to go to her best friend to help. Stubbornness was one of the strong traits in her family. So far there had only been one person Taylor could share her feelings with. And she wasn't about to change that now.

Luckily, when she was at work Taylor knew how to keep herself under control. She didn't let a single customer know when they were annoying her. Taking her final break, Taylor left her cash register and made her way to the break room. Once she was in, she let a sigh of relief. Since she had gotten back from her lunch break, there hadn't been a minute of rest. People were just lining up to pay for everything and one of the other cashiers was taking too long a lunch break. Taylor was just relieved there to only be a couple of hours left in the work day. Going into the fridge for a bottle of water, she could hear her phone ringing. She removed it from her pocket and read the caller ID, seeing it was from Troy. She rolled her eyes and smiled before answering.

"Hello, Al's Pancake House." She answered.

"Oh really, you sell pancakes now?" a shocked Troy asked from the other end. "How exciting!"

"Oh yes, the bugs that crawl all over them especially love the food." Taylor replied sarcastically.

"Very funny, Taylor." Troy chuckled. "You must be having a great day to sell bug-flavored pancakes."

"Oh yeah, the best." She rolled her eyes. "Gabriella told you to check up on me, didn't she?"

"Maybe." Troy responded a little too quickly.

Taylor shook her head. "I'm a big girl, Troy. I can take care of myself."

"I know you can." He replied. "But Gabs has a strong right hook and if I don't occasionally make sure you're ok for her I'm gonna be stuck sleeping on the couch."

"Really, sleeping on the couch?" Taylor inquired. She had never thought of Gabriella to make Troy do that. "One of the most useful things women ever invented."

"Yeah. Not for me." He answered.

"Don't worry, Gabriella won't be hearing anything bad from me." Taylor promised. "If you end up getting yourself on the couch, it'll be by your fault."

"Um…thank you?" Troy replied, confused. He hated it when Taylor did that to him. They had a kind of brother-sister relationship. They weren't the kind of people to just stand each other for Gabriella's sake. Sure in the past they haven't always gotten along. But both were level-headed reasonable people. When Troy and Gabriella had gotten married, Taylor made her point very clear that if Troy ever did the slightest thing to hurt Gabriella, Taylor would go after him and show no mercy. Troy knew better than to get on her bad side, though it didn't stop him from saying something stupid once in a while. As for him, he saw Taylor like a sister figure. After all she was Gabriella's best friend. If anyone tried to put their hands on Taylor they'd have to get through Troy first. While he had offered to help her out, much like Gabriella had, Taylor had still refused. So when it came to advice or assistance, Taylor didn't treat either of them differently.

"So is there anything you wanna talk about?" Troy wondered.

There was one of the stupid things he could say. Troy knew better than to expect Taylor to actually share her problems unless, God forbid, it was life threatening. "Yes, I definitely want to tell you about all the problems I'm having and keep you on the phone complaining about my life for the rest of the day." She answered sarcastically. "Come on Troy, you know me better than that."

Troy shrugged his shoulders. "You can't blame a guy for trying." He said. "Alright, let me rephrase that. Is there anything going on in the world you wanna talk about? The weather? TV shows? Mole people?"

Taylor couldn't help but roll her eyes. It wasn't the same sense of humor she'd often kept close to her, but still she knew it all too well. "Well I have about five minutes before my last break is over," she said glancing at her watches, "I guess we can talk about the game last night."

Troy chuckled. "You watched the baseball game last night?" he asked doubtfully. Despite Troy being a sports person, not to mention other people in their circle of friends being sports fans, Taylor was not usually one to watch.

"I was flipping channels after putting CJ to bed." Taylor answered.

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't he get out of school in like ten minutes?"

"But I don't get off my shift for another two hours…" Taylor started. She took another long look at her watches and her face fell. "Oh crap."

"What's the matter?" Troy asked worriedly.

"This isn't the day CJ stays late after school. They put me on the wrong shift today." Taylor answered.

"Didn't you look at the schedule when you got there?" Troy asked, quite surprised. This was definitely not like Taylor.

"No, I've been running late all day." She replied.

"Maybe it's running late day." Troy offered.

"Not helping!" Taylor insisted. "Sorry Troy, I gotta go."

"Do you want me to get him for you? I can leave work…" Troy started.

"No, I got it. Tell Gabriella I'll call her later. Bye." She hurriedly hung up her phone and rushed out of the break room to clock out, only to run into her boss.

"Where do you think you're going?" the big guy demanded. Not even figuratively speaking, the boss really was a big guy. Big in the stomach, not big in body structure. "You still have two hours left on the clock."

"You put me down for the wrong shift today. I'm supposed to leave right now to get my son from school." Taylor replied.

"It's Thursday, he stays late on Thursdays. You specified that." The boss replied.

"No, he stays late on Tuesdays. Every other day I have to get out with enough time to pick CJ up. He's going to be standing outside school waiting for me and when he sees I'm not coming…" Taylor started.

"Get back to your post." The boss insisted.

"I'll come in on one of my days off to make up for the lost time." Taylor replied. Wait a minute, staying two extra hours would be working overtime. Why should she offer to do that? "Look, I can work something out later but I have to go home for the day." She brushed past her boss, ready to walk right out the door.

"Your job is to stay here. Now get back to your register and call your husband to pick the kid up." He demanded.

That really got Taylor steamed. The last thing she needed was to be reminded. She angrily turned to her boss. "I am a single mother. So don't you dare talk to me like that."

"Did you forget who you were talking to?" the boss man eyed her.

Taylor clutched her fists but it took everything she had not to defy him anymore. As much as she wanted to punch him she knew it would be useless and only end in her termination. She slowly counted to three in her head before saying anything more.

"I have a more important job to take care of. And it's not here." With that, she turned on her heel and left the store. She pulled out her keys and made her way to her car, then drove out of the parking lot and to the elementary school. As Taylor drove she counted quietly to herself in attempt to calm herself down. She knew getting mad at her boss would be pointless. She just wished that one of these days he would get a taste of his medicine or even better get fired. But it was a silly wish; surely if Taylor even had one wish she wouldn't waste it on that.

By the time Taylor arrived at the elementary school she could see very few people outside. Parking her car she jumped out and went over to the entrance, hoping to find CJ there. Luckily enough, there he was right by the school doors with his little lunchbox in his hands and his Pokémon backpack on his shoulders. Taylor let out a sigh of relief as she went over to the little curly-haired boy. While there wasn't much of a physical resemblance between the two of them, the one thing they shared that anyone could pick up on was the brains. And if anyone did look close enough, they could see that they had the same eyes and hair color.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." She apologized to him instantly.

"Where was you?" CJ asked as he turned to her.

Let's see…how to explain this to a little kid? "My boss told me he was the Boogey Man in disguise and wanted my help to take over the world." Hey, it was creative.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed. "I tolded you he was evil."

"I'll remember to listen to you more about that." Taylor promised. "You ready to go home sweetie?"

"Is there a blue puppy waiting for me?" he asked hopefully.

So he was still on that. "No, CJ, we don't have a blue puppy in the house."

"But I wants a friend to play with at home." He responded.

"If you're really good, I'll get you a puppy for your birthday." She promised.

"But that's in forever." The little boy complained.

"Then by Christmas." She said.

"That's even longer away." CJ moaned.

Taylor couldn't help but shake her head. "Come on, honey. Let's just get you home." She took his backpack and CJ ran over to the car. Taylor followed him and unlocked the car, then helped him into his car seat. CJ climbed in and Taylor buckled him up. She then went to the front seat and started the car, driving them home. "So how was school today?" she wondered.

"I got an A on my spelling quiz." CJ said. "And ated all my lunch at lunchtime even though the cafeteria man makes nasty food."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "There's a cafeteria man there?"

"Or a man lady." CJ said.

Taylor decided not to ask. She thought she'd seen enough of those cafeteria worker jokes on TV, she didn't need to hear about the real ones in the neighborhood. "Well I'm happy you're doing so well in school." She told him.

"But I no like school. Bunches of peoples is mean." CJ said.

"You're talking about the other kids right? "Taylor asked hopefully. She'd rather hear about mean children than mean teachers. Taylor would be danged if she ever let her kid go to a school where teachers treated their students so miserably.

"Uh-huh." CJ nodded. "I no think they like me."

"You have to remember something. You've barely been at the school for a semester. It's going to take time to make friends. But you will be able to do it. You just have to be patient." Taylor said.

"Promise?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course." Taylor nodded. "Hey, how about after I help you with your homework we make your favorite for dinner?"

"Macaroni and cheeses?" he asked.

"That's the one." Taylor replied.

"Yay." CJ said. "But I no needs help with homework. We did subtracting in Math and writing in English and learned bout history stuffs in History."

"No science homework?" she inquired.

"Nope. We do science project in school. We watch plants grow outside." CJ answered.

"That's great." Taylor said as they pulled into their driveway. They then got out of the car and walked into the house. "Why don't you start your homework while I get you a snack?" Taylor suggested.

"Can I go in the backyard and play basketball?" CJ asked.

"You really should do your homework first. That's more important." She told him.

"Please mama." CJ begged.

Taylor hated it when he did this. But it was just so hard to say no to him. "You can go outside and play if you do one subject first." She gave in.

"I do Math first." CJ said right away. He dug through his backpack to get out his math notebook. He then took it over to the coffee table in the living room. Picking up a pen and sitting down, he then began working. As he did that, Taylor went into the kitchen to grab a snack. She took some Girl Scout cookies and split them with CJ as he did his homework. Of course, even though he insisted he didn't need any help Taylor still looked over his work. Once that was done, CJ went into the backyard to play with his basketball. He stayed out there for about an hour until Taylor called him in to finish his homework. Overall, it had just been the typical afternoon. The phone had rung a few times, revealed to be Taylor's boss, but she had refused to answer. After they had dinner the phone rang once more. It turned out to be Gabriella calling. So while CJ completed the last of his homework Taylor had a brief conversation with Gabriella.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say I was living with you and troy. You guys talk to me so much during the day." Taylor told her.

"I said I'd call after dinner." Gabriella said innocently.

"Right, about CJ's and Charity's play date." Taylor nodded. "Sunday, is it?"

"Yeah, after lunch. How does three sound?" she suggested. "Troy and I were thinking we could all go for dinner after the park."

"I don't know." Taylor admitted. "I mean, you and Troy and CJ and Charity…"

"What do you mean?" Gabriella wondered.

"I'd rather not be the fifth wheel." Taylor responded.

"You wouldn't be." She replied.

"I think I know what the fifth wheel is, Gabs." Taylor stated. "Why don't you and Troy take the kids to dinner Sunday night? I'll stay with you guys at the park and then just head home."

"You are not spending another night at home alone." Gabriella insisted.

"Who said I'd be alone?" Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "I've got some stuffed animals just begging for some attention. I'll cuddle with them and watch a movie."

"Sorry Taylor, not good enough." Gabriella said. Normally she wasn't an insistent person. But if provoked enough, Gabriella would put her foot down. Now was that time. "I will bring playing cards. I will bring Uno. I'll bring a puzzle book. Anything, you name it, and you won't be the fifth wheel."

"Gabs I appreciate it but nothing will change…" Taylor started, but quickly changed her tone. "Well now that depends, what edition of Uno?"

"Troy's got a whole collection of Uno cards that Charity gets her hands on and plays with." Gabriella said. "Simpsons, Pokémon, Cars, Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh, Sesame Street…"

"They make Sesame Street and Pokémon Uno cards now?" Taylor asked.

"I think so. I know I saw cards with the characters somewhere in this house." Gabriella said.

Taylor sighed. Often enough she didn't give Gabriella credit for putting up a fight. Gabriella was only human and had her flaws like everyone else. She could be naïve, sometimes she could be a perfectionist, and Gabriella could even get distracted. But one thing that no one saw enough was her stubborn side. And right now Taylor was seeing – or in this case, hearing – a very stubborn Latina. There was only one way Taylor could probably get out of this debate. After all, she could only argue with her best friend for so long. Now was the time to stop it.

"If I say I'll go with you guys to dinner Sunday, will you stop this?" she wondered.

"Gladly." Gabriella answered, most likely with a knowing smile.

"Alright, I'll go with you guys to dinner." Taylor gave in.

"Thanks Tay." Gabriella said. "Can I call you tomorrow?"

"Since my alternative is spending my lunch break arguing with my inner thoughts, of course." Taylor said.

"Don't worry; you'll get a break from me and Troy on Saturday." Gabriella giggled.

"I'll try to manage." Taylor said. She looked towards CJ to see him sleeping on one of his books. He must have fallen out while Taylor and Gabriella were talking. And in the middle of his homework. "Anyway, I gotta go Gabs." She told her. "It's past CJ's bed time."

"Alright. Tell him a say good night." Gabriella said.

"I will." Taylor nodded. "Talk to you later." She hung up the phone and put it down. Then Taylor went over to CJ. She carefully picked him up and took a minute to glance at his homework. He had been in the middle of his history, which looked almost done. Taylor sighed and decided to leave it as it was. She'd leave CJ a few notes in the morning how to finish it. She took him upstairs to his room. Taking a moment as she entered the small bedroom, Taylor could see how the place was nearly a perfect combination of Taylor's personality and CJ's father's. There were plenty of books for him to read, whether they were simple Doctor Seuss books or junior novels. The walls were painted blue and decorated with sports posters, most of which were basketball related. And although his drawers and closet were neat and organized there were still toys and such items scattered across the carpeted floor. Taylor shook her head and brought the young boy over to his bed. She lay him down and tucked him in. Taylor took a final moment to replay everything that had happened in her head. The last few years had been hard on her, and Taylor had never imagined herself as a single mother. But she knew it hadn't been done purposefully. It made no sense to blame it on anyone. But if Taylor did say so herself, she wasn't doing half bad. Especially not without her friends looking after her. It was one of those little things she took for granted. But if there was one thing Taylor never took for granted, it was CJ. She wouldn't trade him for anything in the world. Smiling as she watched her son sleep peacefully, Taylor moved some hair from his face before turning off the light.

"Good night, Chad."

* * *

Yup, I'm leaving you with tons more questions. And probably really confused, in which case i apologize. I was planning on revealing everything this chapter except for the fact that i wrote this over the course of three days and kept getting distracted. So please excuse me while i blame the following: I blame Tv, I blame roleplaying, I blame the Internet, and I even blame my Yu-Gi-Oh game for Nintendo DS. Ok, and father's day gift shopping. Which reminds me, happy Father's Day! xD Ok anyway we had a lot going on this chapter. We had Troy and Taylor interacting, we were introduced to CJ, and...oh wait i guess that's about it. Oh yeah, and we learned that Taylor has a big dummy headed boss. Yeah, I'm resorting to kiddie name calling. We can all tell that's what he is. We can, right? Cause that was kind of the intention. Anyway, I'm sorry to leave you guys in so much suspense with so many questions. There ere a few guesses last chapter on what's going on. None of them were exactly on the nose, but definitely close. So if this helps you figure it out...then yay! But i'm not giving anything away that easily. 0=) So, i hope you all enjoyed this chapter and to everyone finishing school till August or September, happy summer! I will try to get the next chapter of this up next chance i get. C=


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing HSM related. Only any characters I make up.

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There are two ways to look at a situation: the glass half full or the glass half empty. The difference is merely about perspective; either look at it with the worst attitude possible or look for a silver lining. Troy, Gabriella, and Taylor are all ones to look at something differently. Gabriella is the one who always does her best to look for the silver lining in a bad situation. Sure, it wouldn't stop her from feeling depressed about something, but at least it was better than to feel that bad for herself and take everyone else down with her. Troy could go either way, depending on what the situation was. If it was something little like a problem at work, he'd just try to look on the bright side of things and know everything would get better. If God forbid it was a family emergency, Troy would find it much harder to see the best of the situation.

Taylor was the unpredictable one. She was the kind of person who looked at things from both points of view, even though she had a tendency to lean more towards one way than the other. In her worst situation possible she never forgot her silver lining. She was reminded of that every day. There was no need for her to feel depressed. Additionally, the distraction of work easily got her mind off of anything until she would receive a call or unexpected visit from her friends and then she would become even more distracted. It was in the times of peace and quiet and her own alone time that Taylor allowed herself to feel any kind of depression at all. As much as she liked having her own quiet time, nowadays she found it just gave her more time to reflect on everything. And she absolutely hated it. She would play things over and over in her head until the peace and quiet would be disturbed.

Unfortunately, it's not just the people with the problems that make it worse upon themselves. There are others who constantly remind them of the hurt and feed off that. Whether they mean to or not, it happens. Taylor was going to get her first taste of that today.

For the most part, it was just a typical day that she had to go through. Taylor got up, got breakfast ready, got CJ ready for school, drove him, went to work, had lunch, and worked some more. It was nothing out of the ordinary. The one unpredictable thing that did happen was an announcement from the boss saying the owner would be coming into the store and everyone should work harder. Not that it came as a total surprise to Taylor. After all, he did scream that announcement over the loud speaker. As far as she was considered, it was nothing short of a minor setback. The real problem would come later.

Finishing her shift, Taylor went to clock out until the owner approached her. "Leaving so soon?" he asked her.

Taylor turned to the short man with the glasses and incredibly deep voice. As calming as his voice did sound, it was almost intimidating. "My shift is over. I have to go pick up my son from school." She explained.

"For a short shift you certainly put in a lot of work." The owner noticed.

"Just doing my job, sir." Taylor responded.

"Clean work station, small breaks, good posture…" the owner noticed.

Taylor saw from the corner of her eye him scribbling something on his clipboard. "I guess so." She answered.

"Well, keep up the good work." He complimented. "Have a good weekend."

"Thank you. You, too." Taylor responded. Grabbing anything she might have left in the back room, Taylor made her way out to the car. If she was grateful for two things at work, it was these: to have supporting and cooperative coworkers, and that even though the boss was a total donkey at least the owner was polite. To make things even better, since she had the weekend off Taylor wouldn't need to go back to that place until Monday. It was definitely a good time to get some much needed rest.

Approaching the school not too long after, Taylor parked the car in front where numerous other parents were waiting for their children to come out. She turned off the engine and went over to wait with everyone else. Doing so, she stood by one of the fathers, a fairly big guy with a deep voice and the attitude that could remind her of a cop. Taylor knew a lot of men with deep voices, with the exception of Troy. She only knew this father by the name of Dick, who was a parent much like herself that arrived as early as possible.

"Nice day out isn't it?" Dick said as she stopped by him.

Taylor nodded. "It's supposed to be nice all weekend."

"Good, we could use some more sun." Dick replied. "How's that boy of yours?"

Taylor tried not to roll her eyes. This guy asked about CJ almost every time he saw her. Taylor didn't know what made him so interested, so she always tried to keep it as simple as possible. "Fine. Just fine."

"Just fine?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I don't believe what we do is any of your business." Taylor stated as politely as possible.

"We'll see about that." He replied, mostly to himself.

Taylor raised an eyebrow but decided not to question it. She really didn't need to deal with any drama. The next thing she knew, most of the kids started exiting the school and going to their respective parents. One of them, who looked much like Dick, ran right over to him.

"Hi Daddy." He said.

"Hey son. How was school?" Dick replied.

"Really funny. Me and my friends made a poofy haired kid cry." The boy responded.

Taylor looked at them curiously. She made her way over to the front doors, trying to see when CJ would get out. But she didn't see him yet. It wasn't even until most of the other kids exited the school that CJ tumbled out, struggling to keep all of his books together. Taylor rushed right over to help.

"CJ what happened?" she gasped.

"Some mean kids ripped my backpack." He sniffed.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked. Why was she not informed about this sooner?

"One of the kids stuck gum on the Pikachu picture on my backpack. Then after lunch it was all cut up." CJ explained.

Taylor didn't know what she was feeling right now. She wasn't sure if she should bring this up to his teacher or the principal, or if she should go right to the kids' parents. However it wouldn't do any good if CJ was depressed. Her first concern was to get him a new backpack and make him feel better. She sighed and picked him up. "Come on honey, let's get you home." She carried him towards her car, only to hear laughing from the same kid that had been talking to Dick.

"Hey Daddy look, it's the mama's boy we tooked care of before!" he laughed.

Taylor spun around. No way she just heard right. That was one of the kids who had practically tortured her son and was now gloating about it? Not on her watch. She walked back over to them. "Are you doing to do something about your child?" Taylor asked the father.

Dick shrugged his shoulders. "You can't control kids while they're at school. Boys will be boys."

"Some are better-behaved than others." Taylor protested.

"And some don't know how to be boys." He responded.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Taylor asked, unsure of whether to sound insulted or not.

"I'm not going to discuss it in front of the kids." Dick answered.

"Alright then." Taylor said. She took CJ over to the car. She helped him in and buckled him up. "Stay right here, ok? I'm going to handle this." She told him. CJ nodded and Taylor took a mere few steps away from the car and put her hands on her hips, waiting for an explanation from this so-called parent. "So what do you mean 'some boys don't know how to be boys'?" she questioned him once he had walked over.

"Well to be honest, your son acts more like a girl than anything else." Dick explained. "He lets the other kids pick on him too easily. He's overly sensitive, he barely speaks…"

"He's shy, alright?" Taylor rolled her eyes. "That's still no excuse for you to allow your kid to make fun of him, just because he's a little different."

"Hey, the kid's gonna be messed up if his father walked out on him." Dick replied.

Now that was something that really insulted Taylor. She just couldn't control her anger with a statement like that. It was easy to see the fury in her eyes. She lifted her hand and just slapped him silly across the face. "Don't you dare make an assumption like that. You have no idea what happened!"

"Hey, watch it!" he yelled, rubbing his face.

"No, you watch it." Taylor warned, her voice getting louder and angrier with every word. "My husband never wanted to leave. He was never planning on leaving. He was drafted, ok? He was drafted for a war before I was going to have CJ and promised to be back by the due date. But never had the chance to come back. He was on a ride back home and then it got shot and blew up and there was only one survivor in the whole thing. The other soldiers saw it. And I never got to see him again. I had to get a phone call while I was visiting my friends. So don't you dare talk about Chad walking out on me or his son!"

No one could have possibly guessed anything like that would have happened. As much as she wanted to forget all about it, Taylor remembered everything all too clearly. She had been four months into the pregnancy and living happily with Chad in New York. But then the war that had been going on got worse and the armies started drafting people. Any teenager who signed up for basic training after high school, or any man – in most cases – no longer in school were to be drafted unless they had good enough reason not to go. Chad was given no choice but to go, only just before leaving promised Taylor he would be back for the birth of the baby. That much he was about to be granted, if only for a day. That day never came. Or, it almost had. Taylor had a brief phone conversation with him the day before. Taylor had been spared most of the gory details, but from what she had been told she remembered every little thing. Chad and a few other soldiers were getting on a helicopter, or some sort of flying vehicle. He was given the chance to return home early with a few wounded soldiers to help them receive medical attention, more than they could have been given on base. Shortly after the copter had taken off there were numerous shots at it before it went down in flames. By the time the soldiers reached the point, it was near in debris and there was only the pilot there and even he was deeply wounded, barely alive. There were no signs of anyone else. With no enemies or trails in sight, the missing soldiers were pronounced dead rather than missing in action.

After hearing that, Taylor had let the stress and heartache get the better of her. She went into labor early, though luckily enough CJ was born very healthy. She and Chad were to think of a name for him when he was born, only knowing before then that it would be a boy, but in memory of Chad, Taylor gave the baby his name. The story was something she never planned on telling CJ and she wished every day that it was a day in the past that could be changed. Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. And there was no way in heck that she would take any bull from some half-beeped man who thinks he knows what happened, only to make her relive the nightmare.

The story had left Dick speechless. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Yeah. They all are." Taylor folded her arms. She in no way wanted anyone's pity.

"It must have been very traumatic for you." He continued.

"Is there a point to this?" Taylor questioned, doing everything she could to keep herself from completely snapping.

"My point is, as hurt as the both of you must be, maybe that's just the cause of everything. Maybe CJ needs to be in a more stable environment." He said.

So first he made her spill the story and now he was insulting her parenting? "Excuse me?"

"This is obviously taking a huge toll on him." Dick explained. "Maybe he could get over it if he had two parents with him."

Now there was no way Taylor was stupid. But this guy's statement could be interpreted a couple of ways. The way that came to Taylor's mind was something she refused to do. "I refuse to remarry anyone."

"That's not what I was going to say." He responded. "I'm saying that it might be best if he went into foster care."

"Over my dead body." Taylor insisted. She lifted her hand and slapped him across the face. "You have no right to even suggest that."

He rubbed his face for a minute before answering. "Actually, I do. I'm a social worker. It's a part of what I do." He flashed his identification, "I'm willing to give you a chance to clean up your act. But I've got my eye on you. And if I see any funny business then your son will be taken away."

Taylor had heard enough of this. This couldn't be happening. She was going to be loud and clear. "Get over yourself. There is no problem. And if you know what's good for you, you'll back off. The only way you're getting your hands on CJ is taking him out of my cold, lifeless arms. And if you were as smart a man as you claim, you would keep your kid under control instead of lecturing others on things they don't need to hear." Turning on her heel, she then got into the car and drove off without even giving him a chance to reply.

CJ rubbed his eyes and looked to Taylor as she drove. "What's goin on?"

"Nothing you need to worry about." Taylor shook her head.

"But you hitted the guy." He said.

"I know. And it was wrong and immature." Taylor responded. "Just promise you'll never put your hands on anyone like that."

"Ok." CJ nodded, though he didn't seem to understand.

But maybe it was a good thing that he didn't understand. Maybe when he'd older he would understand and then ask questions. But it was too soon for that. Taylor just wanted to go home and forget that today ever happened. The sooner they got home the sooner she could go to sleep and dream about what it would be like if Chad were still here. Because at least there, no one could take him away from her.

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Alright, so we finally got another chapter up. Sorry if it took a bit of a wait. I had started it a couple of weeks ago (I think, I lost track after 2 days) but I didn't like how the chapter was turning out because it just looked dragged out. So i started it over, felt too lazy to continue, then finally got back to typing the rest of the chapter tonight. And now you guys know the whole story. About the story going on in the story, not my story about writing the story...you guys know what i mean, right? So as depressing and short and maybe cuckoo as it was, I hope there was something about it that was enjoyable. But I promise, it will get better. You'll see what I mean. And you'll also be happy to know, at least for those of you interested, I have finally gotten somewhere with my idea of writing an HSN version of Princess and the Frog. Got the characters set up, just gotta work out a summary of the chapters and which scenes to put where. Hope that made sense. And for those of us in USA, hope everyone enjoyed the 4th of July weekend. So, can't wait to here what you have to say about this and I will update ASAP...i mean it this time! I will not get distracted too easily. Maybe.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: i own nothing.

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Every day when you wake up, it's hard to imagine this day will be different from the next day. You get up at the same time, you do the same things, and you live the same life. It seems as though nothing at all has changed. So there's nothing new to look forward to. Taylor has lived that same life for about four years now. The only thing that's changed was waking up in a new home. She has found nothing big to look forward to. But today, that was going to change.

It started with Taylor waking up and making breakfast. She didn't bother to change out of her nightwear or do her hair; that she could do later. Not even halfway through making the pancake batter, Taylor heard a knock at the door. She had no idea it could have been this early. Sighing, she turned off the stove and moved the pan and batter. "Just a minute." Taylor called. She pulled her hair back into a small pony tail and stopped in the laundry room to put on a bathrobe. No matter who it was, she didn't exactly want to look like a mess. Especially if it had anything to do with what had happened yesterday. Finishing, Taylor walked over to do the door and unlocked it. The real shock came when she opened it.

He looked so much like him. His hair was as curly as ever, though much shorter than she had remembered it before he left. He had the same build but looked even fitter, if that were even possible. He had the same stunning brown eyes that she remembered staring into. He had the same smile that made her melt every time she saw it. Everything about him was just as she remembered. Taylor found herself staring at the same guy she fell in love with. For a moment, she even thought she was dreaming. He couldn't be here; it was impossible. Taylor was speechless. All she could think about was that it was a dream. There was no other explanation. All this time when Taylor had seen him she had been so ecstatic, only to wake up and realize she'd been dreaming all along. Staring at him with his bright loving eyes and that same warm smile made her feel like she was really looking at him, that this was a reality. But when he spoke, and when he said her name, it didn't feel like a dream.

"Hey Tay."

Taylor couldn't remember the last time he heard that voice. It was almost like she had gone back in time. This was most definitely not a dream. "Chad…?" she responded, to be sure.

His smile grew wider hearing her voice again. "Tay!" he exclaimed, taking her in his arms and spinning her around.

In her mind, Taylor knew this was impossible. There was no way this could really be happening in reality outside of her dreams. But in her heart, it was. "Oh my God, Chad!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Without even another word they instantly kissed, exploring old territory and reclaiming what was rightfully theirs. They ended up on the couch, both refusing to pull away. Taylor could feel Chad's hands caressing her body like they always had as her fingers became tangled in his hair missing those soft curls. It wasn't until they both needed air that they pulled away from each other. Taylor looked up at Chad, locking eyes with him, slowly taking in the happy reality that this wasn't a dream and he really was right n top of her.

"You're really here." She breathed.

"You were expecting maybe a ghost?" Chad joked. He had not lost that same sense of humor.

"It's not that." Taylor shook her head. "But I thought you were…" How to explain this to him?

Chad raised an eyebrow, having no idea of what Taylor went through or what everyone was told. "Thought I was what?"

"Dead." Taylor admitted. She let the harsh word escape her, hoping that was the last time she'd ever have to think it.

"Wait…why would you think I was dead?" Chad asked. He may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but Chad knew when he was dead or alive. And right now he was pretty sure he was living.

"That's what I was told when I heard about the plane crash." Taylor said softly, breaking eye contact with him.

Chad shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. After four years of hardships and torture, the love of his life actually thought he had been dead? At that point, he had one main concern. "Please tell me you never remarried."

"Oh no, never." Taylor answered immediately. Every time someone had suggested that to her, she would decline without any second thoughts.

"Good." Chad sighed with relief. At least he hadn't lost Taylor to another man.

But Taylor was still curious. 'So if you didn't die then what did happen?" she asked.

Chad slowly got off of Taylor and she sat up beside him. "It wasn't the plane crash that killed anyone. See, I was getting on the plane to help the pilot bring some injured soldiers home so they could get better treatment, or else they'd never make it. But when we were high in the air, something shot at us and the plane started smoking and bursting into flames. We crashed and there were more injuries but we all survived. The plane was still burning but the next thing we knew, we were surrounded. There were enemies all around us. They grabbed us and took us away. The only one that was left behind was the pilot, because he was trapped under some materials. We were taken away by the enemies and then next thing we knew, we saw what was left of the plane explode."

"So when the only person seen was the pilot and no one else was in sight…that's when those soldiers sent out the word about all of you ding." Taylor realized.

"I guess that explains why there were never any search parties to find us." Chad sighed. He had to admit, he felt awfully disappointed. He didn't even volunteer for this fight, he was drafted into it. And he was repaid for his serving the country by getting assumed that he was dead and telling his family and friends and breaking their hearts?

Taylor lightly placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then what happened?" she asked softly.

Chad looked at her. "Guess you could say we were their prisoners. Or hostages. I don't even know. But we were locked up and those guys barely did anything with us. There were about five other soldiers with me, and only two of them ended up surviving somehow." Chad explained. "We thought of a ton of plans to escape but every time we tried it was no good. We were stuck there for I don't know how long. I guess with all the time that passed, it must have been a few years. When we finally did manage to escape, we took out a couple of guards and disguised ourselves. We stole one of their copters and flew away. It was like a miracle, I guess."

"And then you came here." Taylor finished.

"Not exactly." Chad shook his head. "As soon as we landed back here in the states, the two soldiers went to get checked out and healed completely. I mean, one of them was in really bad shape after all that, but the fact that two of them even did survive in the condition they were in was a miracle. We got rides back to our homes. I thought you'd still be in New York so that's where I went. But when I got there, you weren't there. No one was. I had to bug the neighbors and they just told me you moved. I figured if you moved anywhere it'd be Albuquerque."

"And you knew to look in this very house?" Taylor quirked an eyebrow.

"The original plan was going door to door and see if anyone could help." Chad shrugged his shoulders. Then he smiled, "But I saw your car in the driveway. I know that thing anywhere. Only you would have a bumper sticker on your car that says 'I love Chemistry'."

Taylor smiled. "What can I say; I'm a sucker for chemistry."

"Well the only chemistry I'm a sucker for is ours." Chad grinned.

"I've never been so happy to hear one of your corny lines." Taylor smiled.

"You love my corny lines." Chad teased playfully.

"I do. Very much." Taylor smiled, giving him another kiss.

"I love you too." Chad smiled.

Taylor then remembered something. She still had CJ sleeping upstairs. He didn't know his dad was here. He never even met his dad. Chad had no idea they had a son. "I have to get something upstairs." She told him. "There's someone I want you to meet."

"Who is it?" Chad asked as she got off the couch.

"You'll see." Taylor responded before heading upstairs. "No peeking."

Chad shrugged his shoulders. He closed his eyes and covered them. Maybe it was a puppy or something. What was he supposed to know anyway?

Taylor made her way into CJ's room. She could see him still sleeping soundly. Taylor hated to wake him so early, but he had to see this. "CJ, wake up." She whispered.

He shifted in his sleep a little, but wasn't awake.

"CJ." She said again.

CJ yawned and his eyes fluttered open. He looked up at Taylor.

"Come downstairs." She told him.

"But I wants to sleep some more." He replied.

"You'll have your nap later." Taylor promised. "You have to come downstairs. There's someone waiting for you."

"Who?" he asked, rubbing his eyes as Taylor picked him up.

"Well, you know how you have all those pictures of your dad?" she asked.

"Uh-huh." He nodded.

"And how I said he's not here with us?" she added.

"Uh-huh." CJ nodded again. "But you said even if he not here, he still here with us."

"Well, it's not like that anymore." Taylor replied as she took him downstairs. "He's here." They walked into the living room and Chad was sitting there on the couch, though still with his eyes closed. Taylor giggled. "Chad you can open your eyes now."

CJ looked up at Taylor, thinking she was talking to him. "My eyeses aren't closed."

"Actually…" Taylor started.

Chad opened his eyes and looked over to Taylor. He saw Taylor holding the little boy, at first being completely clueless. He got off the couch and walked over to them, not all too sure what to say. So when he didn't speak, Taylor did.

"Chad this is CJ, your son." She explained. "CJ, this is your dad."

Still, Chad remained speechless. It wasn't that he forgot he and Taylor had a kid, he knew they did. But it had been so long. Chad never even knew what it was going to be. And now because of one stupid misunderstanding and how long it took him to get home, he missed out on so much. He was meeting his own son for the first time in four years and he didn't even know him.

CJ seemed a little less shocked, almost like he was expecting it. He tilted his head and looked at Chad. "Dada?" he asked.

Chad opened his mouth to reply, but he'd lost all will to speak. He was still trying to absorb it all in. So he merely nodded.

CJ then climbed out of Taylor's arms and into Chad's automatically cuddling up to him. There didn't need to be any overexcitement or anything. Sure, it was something to be excited about, but it wasn't necessary. All that mattered was that he was here and they were all back together. It should be something to be grateful for, and that's exactly what CJ seemed to think of it. Chad looked at his son and smiled, automatically accepting his embrace. He then looked to Taylor and smiled warmly.

"We have a son." He breathed.

"I know we do. I used to change his diapers." Taylor nodded. To her, it was no longer the big deal that it was when CJ was born. But she knew how much it meant to Chad. Not just that they had a son, but to know that Taylor had raised him well and that after all the time that passed he was still there and accepted Chad so quickly and easily.

"I love him." He told Taylor, as though it wasn't obvious enough.

"I know." Taylor nodded with a smile. "And CJ loves you too. Whether you're here or not."

"No more worries about that." Chad shook his head right away. "I'm not even gonna think about going anywhere again. It took me this long to get here, so now I'm here to stay."

"That means we have a lot of catching up to do." Taylor smiled.

"I look forward to it." Chad replied with a smile of his own before kissing her.

"Ew, gross." CJ giggled.

Taylor pulled away and looked at CJ. "You say that now. Wait until you're older."

"What happens then?" CJ asked.

Taylor automatically pointed to Chad. "Your father will explain that for you."

CJ looked up at Chad.

Chad bit his tongue. Great, he was put on the spot already? Alright he had to think now…. What would a responsibly parent say or do? "Hey, who wants a cookie?" he blurt out.

"Me, me! I do, I do!" CJ exclaimed. He jumped down and ran into the kitchen, more than ready to try and snatch one of the cookies from the cookie jar.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at Chad and folded her arms. "Cookies for breakfast?"

Chad smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders. "I had no choice…?" He attempted to get off the hook.

"You are so lucky I can't get mad at you after almost five years." She told him.

"I think I'm more surprised what you named our son." Chad stated. "What's CJ short for anyway?"

"Chad Jr." Taylor admitted.

Chad couldn't help but chuckle. "I made a joke years ago about that if we ever had a son and I strictly remember you saying…" He even tried to mimic her voice, although he didn't do the best job, "…'the day I name my son after any man is the day that I decide to drop my knowledge and future to become an old cat lady'."

Taylor shrugged her shoulders. "We didn't exactly have a chance to decide on a name. And he was the last thing I had of you, so it made sense."

Chad's grin started to grow. "I may hear you talking, but I see no cats in this house." He chuckled.

Taylor smiled and playfully hit his chest. "No cats here. CJ wants a dog."

"Does he?" Chad inquired. "What kind?"

"A blue one." She answered.

That completely stumped Chad. "They make blue dogs now? How long was I gone, really?"

Taylor giggled and pecked him on the cheek.

CJ poked his head out of the kitchen. "Breakfast time yet?" he asked.

"In a minute, honey. We'll be right there." Taylor told him.

"Kay kay." CJ replied going over to the kitchen table and waiting patiently for his parents.

Taylor turned back to Chad. "Why don't you spend the day with CJ?" she suggested. "I know it can't get back any of the time you missed, but the both of you deserve it. You can get to know each other better. He needs special father/son time."

"So when does that leave special you/me time?" Chad asked. He was in no way against the idea at all. Chad loved the idea of spending an entire day with his son. It wasn't the exact way he pictured his first day back home, but they both really did need it. However, he also hadn't seen Taylor in years and he wanted time with her as well. Even if they still had parental obligations, Chad didn't want anything coming in between that.

"Tonight after CJ goes to bed." Taylor answered. "After breakfast, I'll get out some of your clothes I saved. You can take CJ out for the day, for lunch, wherever you two want to go, and be back by dinner."

"You sure you won't be jealous?" Chad teased playfully.

Taylor smiled and nodded. "I'm positive."

"Alright." Chad replied with a smile. He kissed her cheek, "But I'm holding you to your promise for tonight."

"Done, and done." Taylor smiled. They then headed into the kitchen only to hear CJ ask,

"Where's breakfast cookies?"

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I told you guys it was going to get better. Did you really think I'd seriously kill of Chad of all people? NEVER! But by all means, this is not the end of the story. Ok, so i said the story would be short and it technically is, but it's not over yet cause more is gonna happen. It's gonna be like a slower development and we'll get to see the adjustment and how everything turns out and then watch as some drama begins to unfold and makes everyone crazy. Plus after like 3 chapters without Chad we need to make up for all that lost time. So as usual, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and i really can't wait to hear what you guys think of it. I will update the next chance i get, which should be sometime within the week. Happy week, everyone! c:


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

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Chad hadn't had a day in years where he just felt so relieved to be home. At first he just found it a miracle that he ever made it home in one piece. But now he not only had the privilege to settle down again, but also the chance he always wanted to get to know his own kid. If it had been up to him, Chad would have never even left and missed a thing. Everyone always seems to say that the youngest years of a child go by so fast and they're so easy to miss. But it was those years that Chad found went the slowest. Every day he would wake up wishing he could be home or dreaming about waking up beside Taylor and then realizing his harsh reality. Every day he would dream about escaping and going home only to face failure after failure and lose comrades in the process. Now he was overjoyed that every day he would never have to face something like that again and that he could finally live his life the way he wanted to.

Chad started out the day by just walking around town with CJ and getting to know home again. Of course, he had to pry CJ away from some of the toy store windows. As much as he wanted to spoil him, Chad knew now wasn't the time. After a few days, the first thing Chad would be doing is looking for a job. At least then he could spoil his son all he wanted to. He then took CJ out to lunch at Friendly's and then they took their ice cream to the park and continued talking.

"…And I stay after school once a week for basketball, and I study lots hard, and I like to eat…" CJ told Chad, trying to think of all the things he liked to do.

"You know, you get the basketball skills from me." He replied with a grin.

"You play basketball?" CJ asked hopefully.

"Hey, I didn't just play basketball." Chad responded. "I was one of the best since I was your age. And team captain in college."

CJ's eyes lit up and his smile grew wider. "Wow!"

"How about tomorrow I show you some of the stuff I know?" Chad suggested. He would have liked to say right now, but he didn't want to stay out too much longer and wanted to get home to relax – especially with Taylor.

"Me and momma are going to see Uncle Troy and Aunty Gabby and Charity tomorrow." CJ said. "Think maybe you can teach both of us?"

Troy and Gabriella. Now those were names Chad hadn't heard in ages. He and Troy grew up to be best friends. They were close from the time they were in preschool. They had the same dream, the same likes…. He should have known that with his family here, Troy would definitely keep an eye on them for him. Gabriella was Troy's high school sweetheart. Much more sappy romance with those two than Chad and Taylor ever had, anyway. Chad always had a great respect for Gabriella. It wasn't just for her brains, but he also admired her big heart. He knew that the girl was a good catch for his old friend. But the last name had Chad totally stumped. He had a feeling he knew who it was, but it was probably better to ask anyway.

"Charity?"

"Uh-huh." CJ nodded. "She's a year younger than me but she's my best friend like Mommy and Aunty Gabby. We play together lots all the time."

Now Chad was sure of it. Charity must have been Troy's and Gabriella's daughter. Now that was what he liked to hear. It made him even more thrilled to know that the two of them were as close as Chad and Troy had been when they were younger. Even though Chad was heartbroken when he finally made it to New York and found out CJ and Taylor weren't there anymore, he knew now that coming back here was the right choice for them.

"Well if you both want to, then tomorrow I'll teach you guys everything I know about basketball." Chad offered.

"Yay!" CJ cheered with a smile. Then his face fell. "But I gots to finish all my homework tonight for school on Monday so we can all go to the park."

"Hey I was never a fan of homework either." Chad told him. "But homework comes first. You gotta get it out of the way."

"Ok." He sighed. "But some of it is so boring"

Chad rubbed his son's head. "I wish I could say I could help, but I kind of can't. Your mom's got all the brains. I just got the good looks and the muscles."

CJ tilted his head. "If you say so. But I dunno what good looks look like."

"And I'll teach you about that when you're older." He replied. "Now finish your ice cream before it melts all over."

"Ok." CJ nodded happily before licking his ice cream cone.

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By the end of the day, CJ was completely tuckered out. Not too long after dinner, Chad and Taylor tucked him into bed before going into their own room. Force of habit from daily routine, as soon as Taylor sat on her bed she began flipping through a crossword puzzle book and attempted to finish the current puzzle she'd started last week. But Chad wasn't buying her nonchalant act; he knew her far better than that. And even though he knew just as well as everyone else how hesitant she was to reveal her own feelings, Chad wasn't going to settle without some answers.

"Alright, start talking." He said, standing in front of the bed and calmly folding his arms.

"What's there to talk about?" Taylor inquired, not looking up from her puzzle.

"About today." Chad answered. "What was up with you? I walk in and you're happier than anything to see me. We kiss, then you're hard kinda like a rock, then you tell me to spend the day with CJ."

Taylor looked to him and quirked an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you didn't want to do that."

"Of course I did." Chad said. "I just thought with all the time we spent apart, you'd wanna be with me today, too."

"I did want to, without a doubt." Taylor nodded. "But CJ comes first every time. And he's needed you a lot more than I did."

"I know." Chad responded. "He told me he wished he could have both parents like everyone else at school did. And I promised I would never leave again."

"Good." She said.

"That still doesn't explain why you were like stone today." Chad replied.

Taylor sighed. She moved some hair from her face and looked up at him. "It's just hard." She admitted. "I spent the last four years living behind a wall. I hadn't let anyone in and I was afraid to. Just letting all that go after four years, it's not easy. She then reluctantly looked away, "And I don't want to get hurt like that again."

Chad softened up and sat down beside her. "You're stubborn when it comes to just about everything, you know." He said with a slight chuckle.

Taylor shook her head, "Leave it to you to try to make a joke at a time like this."

"It's what I do." Chad said. "And one thing I'm not gonna do is leave again. I don't care if I was drafted or forced or whatever. I'm not letting anyone take me away like that again. I'm here to stay."

She turned back to him. "Just because you say or promise that doesn't mean I'm going to let my guard down so easily or just lighten up. I need time to readjust. And I know you need time to get used to life here again too."

"But we can make everything work right?" Chad asked.

"Of course." Taylor said right away. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"Neither do I." Chad replied, gently putting his hand over hers.

Taylor smiled when he did that. She'd forgotten how warm and fuzzy she got when they had such a simple moment like that. With them, even though she liked it when a guy was romantic, it never needed to be that way. Just the simplest of gestures to show each other that they cared made it all worth it. Taylor had never once felt more grateful to have him by her side. "I love you Chad."

Those were the words that Chad dreamed of hearing for four years. It got him all soft and mushy inside just to hear it – and it was really hard for a guy to feel so soft and mushy. "I love you too Tay."

They then leaned in and gently kissed each other. They didn't need to just dive in and get right to the making out – no matter how much they both wanted to. Right now they just decided to take the time to get reacquainted with each other and becoming familiar with old territory. There was excitement, but it wasn't out of control. Their tongues did collide, but it wasn't a full out battle to see who would win. There was plenty of kissing, but it wasn't rough or crazy. They just sat beside each other on the bed exchanging soft kisses. Chad lightly pushed Taylor down on the bed, ending up on top of her, yet that didn't break the cycle. Their hands lightly caressed each others bodies, just doing the little things that they appreciated the most. The longer they went on with this and the simpler they kept it, the more it meant to the both of them. There was a moment in the middle of all that where Taylor just found her emotions taking control over her. She smiled into the kiss and felt her eyes becoming heavy and watery. They briefly pulled away from each other to get some air, and Chad looked at Taylor with concern.

"Tay you're crying." He said softly, placing his hand on her cheek. "What's wrong?"

Taylor shook her head, just trying to stop the waterworks. "Nothing in the world is wrong right now." She responded in attempt to regain control of her emotions. "I'm just so happy. I'm happy that you're home and in one piece. I'm happy that we're back together. And I'm happy that we can all start over."

Chad smiled. Even though all day it felt good to be back and he was glad to be home with his family, just hearing that made him feel better than he already did. He leaned in towards her and they began their gentle exchange of kisses once more. Just as it already was, everything was kept simple. Sometimes that was all a person ever really needed. Big grand gestures were nice once in a while, and Chad and Taylor sure had their share of those, but it wasn't those gestures that made the relationship. They were always the kind to be casual about PDA and act like nothing major was going on to everyone, but became intimate and passionate behind closed doors. If there was ever a couple they knew who was all about soft and simple it was Troy and Gabriella. It also happened to be a part of the relationship that Chad and Taylor learned from their friends over the years. So Chad just turned off the light to their room and the happy couple just kissed the rest of the night away.

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Sorry, sorry, sorry, and a ton more sorry's. I know I keep saying I'm going to update quickly and sometimes I do but other times I just get lazy and distracted...occasional writer's block. This chapter was mostly done from laziness and distraction. I wasn't planning on making this chapter some big, grand one. I just wanted it to be nice, short, and simple. and now I feel like a broken record because i probably used the word 'simple' so much this chapter. XD Anyway, I decided to start this chapter out with a little father/son interaction between Chad and CJ. I wasn't completely sure how to write it so I kept it fairly short. One thing I learned from some of my art classes is that less is more so I'm hoping that lesson applied decently to the writing as well. And I know plenty of you thought that Taylor was like stone...or something like that...last chapter so I thought I'd take the other half of this chapter to expand on that. And as usual like I say about all my other chapters, hopefully it all turned out well. But this still is not the end of the story. There's plenty more to come. Ok, so today's the 22nd of July and there's like one more week till the end of the month...so that must mean I need to get the next chapter up before the end of the month. And if I don't feel free to drop a virtual piano on my head. XDDD So feel free to review, share your thoughts, and...I don't know, don't eat socks? =P


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, only the characters i made up.

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"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Chad and Taylor shifted in their sleep a little, hearing CJ's voice so early in the morning. They were perfectly cuddled up together underneath their blankets having the most peaceful dreams only to be interrupted by the little boy.

"C'mon, wake up!" CJ insisted, still jumping up and down on the bed.

"Alright, alright, we're up." Chad yawned as he slowly sat up. He lightly pushed the blankets off his chest to reveal that he'd gone the night without wearing a shirt, looking about as buff and muscular as ever.

"We go to the park today!" CJ exclaimed as he stopped jumping on the bed. "We're gonna see Uncle Troy and Auntie Gabby and Charity too!"

Taylor glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. "CJ, it's eight in the morning. We're not meeting them until this afternoon." She told him sleepily, keeping the blankets over her.

"But I wants to go now." CJ whined.

"Listen to your mom. You have to wait." Chad told him. "Why don't you try going back to sleep?"

"I can't. I'm too awake to go back to sleeps." CJ said.

"Then watch the TV downstairs. We're gonna try to sleep a little more." Chad said laying back down.

CJ wouldn't take no for an answer. He shook Chad's arm. "Watch TV with me."

"In a few hours." Chad yawned, just wanting some more sleep.

"TV now." CJ insisted.

Boy he was sure persistent. Unfortunately, Chad couldn't go much longer saying no to him. What kind of parent would he be if he denied father/son morning cartoons? "Alright." He gave in. "Go turn on the TV to something you wanna watch. I'll be down in five minutes."

"Yay!" CJ cheered before jumping off the bed and rushing down to the living room.

Chad sighed and turned to Taylor. "Well at least CJ's happy."

"You've never been good in the mornings." Taylor shook her head.

"I can't help it. I'm not a morning person." Chad replied. "How I even survived getting up at the crack of dawn in the army, I'll never know."

"Well then you'll be able to survive here easy." Taylor said. "CJ just wants to spend more time with you."

"I know." Chad nodded with a smile. "I guess I just still need to do some adjusting."

"Just a little." Taylor agreed.

"Ok, you didn't need to agree so quickly." Chad chuckled.

"I know." Taylor shrugged with a smile. "Now you go be with CJ. I'll get up again in about an hour to make breakfast."

"Alright." Chad said pecking her lips. He then got out of bed.

"Oh and Chad?" Taylor asked, sitting up just enough to see that like Chad, she had no shirt on either.

"Yeah?" he asked, turning back to her.

"Put some pants on." She told him.

Chad looked down to realize that the only thing he was wearing at the moment were his boxers. It probably was not the best idea to go down to his son in just underwear. "I'll go put on some pants." He said, rushing over to the closet.

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They later arrived at the park, easily getting a good view of where Troy and Gabriella were. They were just outside one of the playgrounds, setting up a picnic for all of them on a hill right near a shady tree. Since the couple were watching Charity and finishing setting up, they didn't see the Danforth family approaching. Chad noticed this and decided to take advantage of it.

"Hey, you wanna mess with them a little?" Chad asked Taylor.

Taylor stopped walking and turned to him. "You haven't seen our best friends in years and the first thing you think of when you get a glimpse of them is playing a joke?"

"Well…. Yeah." Chad admitted, shrugging his shoulders. It was all good clean fun for him. He was just the kind of guy that liked playing harmless jokes for no reason at all. Besides, he'd played a ton of jokes on Troy when they were younger and he always knew it was just fun. After all, Chad wasn't the kind of guy to just walk up to someone and give them a big bear hug after all that time. It was just too easy.

Taylor thought for a minute. Actually, it wasn't even for a minute. Seeing Troy's and Gabriella's reaction could be funny. And it would be good to see something like that again. "Alright, let's do it." She agreed. "You know how to sneak around behind them?"

"Yeah, I just cut around the playground and jump on them when they're not looking." Chad nodded.

"Let's do it." Taylor said with a smile.

Chad maneuvered his way around, making his way towards the other side of the hill.

CJ looked up at his mom. "We gonna get Auntie gabby and Uncle Troy good."

"Yeah we are." Taylor nodded. "Remember, don't say anything to them."

"Gots it." CJ nodded.

They then made their way up the hill, walking to Troy and Gabriella. "Hey." Taylor said to them.

"Hey Tay." Gabriella smiled, hugging her friend. "You ready for a bunch of junk food women our age should not be eating?"

Taylor giggled. "Gabriella we're not that old…. Yet."

"Well then we'd better dig in before we do get too old to eat it." Troy said opening the picnic basket. "We've got chocolate, muffins, cookies, and apples."

"Apples?" Taylor inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"We brought caramel if anyone wants to dip their apple in it." Troy answered.

"Well ok then." Taylor responded. She put CJ down, who went right over to Charity.

"Wanna go on the swings?" Charity asked CJ.

"Not yet. We gots to wait." CJ replied.

"Wait for what?" Charity asked. "We gotta go on now before all the swings is taken."

"You two don't have to wait for anything. Go on and have fun." Troy told them. "What would you even be waiting for?"

That was when Chad popped up right behind Troy, "BOO!"

Troy gasped and jumped back, not even expecting that. "What the….?"

Chad laughed and pointed at Troy. "Gotcha."

Troy turned to Chad just speechless. He didn't know what to do first, ask if his friend was a ghost or ask what the heck he was doing. He kept trying to open his mouth, but nothing came out.

Taylor giggled. "Wow, we didn't think you'd be that speechless." She told Troy.

Gabriella gasped and turned to her friend. "You were in on this, too?" She looked to Chad, then back at Taylor. "Please tell me what's going on."

"That's my daddy!" CJ exclaimed with a smile.

Troy and Gabriella exchanged glances. They were both just as speechless. They looked back and forth between them and their friends. "But…but…and you…and…." The stammered simultaneously.

"Ok now you guys just sound like you saw a ghost." Chad chuckled.

"But we thought you were…" Gabriella started.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." Chad said.

"Then come here big guy." Troy grinned with his arms wide open. Chad opened his arms and walked right into what was supposed to be a friendly guy hug until he earned a slap on the back of his head from Troy instead.

"Hey what was that for?" Chad gasped, backing away and rubbing his head.

"That was for pulling that prank on us." Troy responded. "Some greeting after all this time!"

"Sorry man, but I couldn't resist." Chad replied.

"Alright, let me make it all better then." Gabriella suggested walking over and hugging Chad. "We're so happy to have you back! It just wasn't the same without you. Everyone missed you so much."

"I missed you guys too." Chad responded, hugging his friend back. "And thanks for looking after my family for me, guys." He added to them.

Troy smiled and patted Chad's back. "Hey, we know you'd do the same for us."

"Can we go on the swings now?" Charity asked hopefully, not even understanding what was going on. She just wanted to play in the park, not watch her parents doing whatever.

"Go on guys, have fun." Troy told her and CJ.

"Race you there!" Charity exclaimed to CJ before the two of them rushed off to the playground.

After they ran to the swings, Chad recounted the tales of his army days to his friends. He told them everything he told Taylor, about the plane crash and being taken refuge; everything up to the point where he got home. Hearing the whole story made sense to Troy and Gabriella. They now understood why some of the soldiers had been classified as dead instead of missing in action. As relieved as they were to have their friend back and to feel like their family was really complete, it angered them to know that back then there had been a chance Chad survived and they were completely misinformed. All that time they'd spent on mourning and grieving they could have used trying to find Chad or looking for someone who could help find him.

"Those –beeps-!" Troy cursed, clutching his fists. The thing he hated most was that he thought he'd lost his best friend. Nearly five years were taken away from Chad's life, time he could have spent with his family and friends, not locked up like some circus monkey.

"Let it go, man. What's done is done." Chad told him.

"Aren't you mad in the least for what those creeps did to you?" Troy asked. "You could have been saved long ago but you weren't. That's their fault for not caring enough to even try."

"It's in the past." Chad replied. "I'm done with that place, with that job, that life, that everything."

Gabriella nodded in agreement and placed her hand over Troy's. "The important thing is that he's alright and that he's home now, safe and sound." She told Troy.

"I know." Troy nodded. "But there could I have been something I could do and there wasn't."

"Dude, you did everything for me." Chad replied. "I can't thank you enough for that."

"That's what buds are for, man." Troy said. "Now I don't know about you, but all that anger made me thirsty. I'm gonna head to one of the vending machines and grab a soda."

"I'll go with you." Chad responded.

"You got a couple of extra bucks?" Troy quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Chad nodded pulling a couple of dollars out of his pants pocket, "I took the chance from Taylor when she wasn't looking."

"Hey!" Taylor gasped. She broke off a piece from one of the cookies and playfully threw it at Chad, only to have him turn around and grab it.

"Thanks." He told her, eating the cookie piece before following Troy.

Troy chuckled. "I don't get you man. After all this how can you just be all silly and happy-go-lucky?" he asked, stopping at the vending machine and putting in the standard $1.50.

"Cause I got everything back, man." Chad answered. "I'm back home, I got you and Gabs, and I got Tay and CJ. That's all that matters to me right now. So I'm milking what I got for all it's worth."

"Leave it to you to see the silver lining in something completely non-school related." Troy laughed, remembering Chad's constant boredom and slacking off in high school.

"Hey, someone had to make the people laugh." Chad smiled. "After losing everything and finally getting back to New York only to find no one there but now be back with the people I love here, I can't look at anything else but the bright side. But enough about the wonderful world of me, there's gotta be stuff going on in your life."

"Nothing really." He shook his head picking up the small bottle of Diet Coke. "Gabs and I got steady jobs, my dad's lucky enough to even be playing one sport at his age, and Gabs' mom is still working."

"Well her mom was never one to quit." Chad stated.

"Hey if she stops working it's off to the retirement home with nothing to do. That place isn't for Ma." Troy said, referring to the name he now gave Gabriella's mom. Troy's mom was always Mom, but he always called his mother-in-law Ma as to not get the two of them confused in any way.

"And the old Coach?" Chad inquired.

"He's the one in the old folks' home." He answered. "Dad's lucky enough to even be playing golf at his age with a bad back and almost no sight in on eye."

"How'd that happen?" Chad wondered.

Troy shrugged, "He thinks it's payback for all those chocolate bars he snuck into the house and into his stomach."

"Right, it's always the junk food that does somebody in." he chuckled.

"Dad refuses to blame his age and health issues on anything else." Troy laughed, putting in more money for a Sprite.

Chad glanced to the park where he could see CJ and Charity trying to see who could swing higher. "So how old is Charity?"

"A year younger than CJ." Troy answered, picking up Gabriella's drink and stepping aside for Chad. "She'll be four in six months."

"I can't believe you had a kid without me around." Chad teased playfully, sliding the two bills into the machine.

"Hey give us some credit, man. We named her after you." Troy replied.

"Really?" Chad asked doubtfully. Not that he didn't believe his friend, he did; Chad merely found it hard to believe that Troy's and Gabriella's first child was named entirely after him.

"Alright, you got me." Troy laughed faintly. "Her first name's after you. Her middle name is from my mom."

"Knew it." Chad said.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Troy rolled his eyes. "And for the record, we're going for kid number two."

"Well, now you know you can name the second kid after someone who is alive." Chad joked, picking up his soda.

"It'll be named after both our dads." Troy told Chad. "If there's ever a number three, that'll be named after Ma."

"Whoa, too much information." Chad held his hand up before pushing the button for another bottle.

Troy laughed. "Then I won't tell you what Gabs and I did last night."

"Please don't." Chad groaned.

Meanwhile, Gabriella and Taylor sat down on the blanket lightly eating some of the food. Although their eyes were also on their children, that by no means stopped them from talking to each other.

"So you seem awfully quiet today." Gabriella noticed.

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked, taking a small bite out of her apple.

"You've barely said anything since you got here. The most I've seen you do is just sit here smiling." She explained.

"I think I have every reason to smile." Taylor responded.

"You do. But you're never one to keep this quiet." Gabriella said. "It's just that, you recently found out your husband is alive and yet you're not all over him."

"You also know I'm not one for PDA in front of children." She stated.

"That still doesn't answer my question." Gabriella responded.

Taylor took another bite of her apple before answering, "You and Troy haven't seen Chad since he left. I saw him for the first time yesterday. Granted, he spent most of the day with CJ, but the both of them needed it. The way I see it, I get more time to Chad than anyone else does. You and Troy see him now, and I guarantee that you'll be seeing plenty more of him. CJ wants to spend as much time with Chad as he can, but even that doesn't compare to the time I get with him. I fell asleep with Chad last night, and I woke up beside him this morning. Even though those hours I spent with him were all sleep, they were still with Chad. To wake up feeling his arms around me and to know that now I can see him more than just in my dreams, that makes it all worth it. I don't always need to be directly with Chad or be doing something with him to spend time with him."

Leave it to Taylor to give such a thorough, decent explanation. Of course she never needed to do something with Chad just to be with him. As much as Taylor loved the idea of romance, she wasn't a hopeless romantic. Just an occasional romantic.

"So you two didn't do anything last night?" Gabriella couldn't help but wonder.

"Nothing past a heavy make-out session." Taylor admitted. "But with Chad home now, there will be plenty of time to be intimate."

"Well any time either of you want that kind of privacy, bring CJ over. He and Charity can have a little sleepover." She suggested.

"Thanks Gabriella." Taylor replied.

"Uh-oh, Chad, they're all quiet now." Troy chuckled as he and Chad walked back to the girls just as their conversation ended.

"They must have been talking about us." Chad agreed laughing.

"In your dreams." Gabriella teased playfully, taking one of the bottles from Troy.

"Yes, our whole conversations don't revolve around our husbands or love lives." Taylor agreed as Chad sat beside her.

"Love lives?" Chad asked, concerned.

"Like with other guys?" Troy asked.

Gabriella had an innocent look on her face like she was thinking while Taylor nonchalantly sipped the DR Pepper that Chad just handed her. The boys exchanged worried glances, hoping that the girls were just getting back at them and not being serious. But neither received an answer.

"I think we're in trouble." Troy said.

"We must have done something wrong." Chad agreed.

Before either girl could answer, confirming the boys' suspicions that they were just messing with them, the kids ran up to them.

"Mommy, Daddy, I'm thirsty." Charity said.

Troy opened his bottle. "You can have some of my soda." He told Charity. "Careful, don't let it spill."

"Kay." Charity nodded, taking the bottle and drinking the soda.

"I wanna cookie." CJ told his parents.

"Just one." Taylor told him. "We don't want you getting a stomach ache."

"I be fine." CJ replied digging right into the picnic basket and pulling out a cookie.

"I wanna cookie, too!" Charity exclaimed, doing what CJ did and throwing stuff out of the basket just to get a cookie for her.

"Hey, your cookie's bigger than mine!" CJ gasped when Charity took one.

"Nuh-uh. They're the same sizes." Charity replied.

"Gimme big cookie!" CJ insisted.

"My big cookie!" Charity gasped, starting to run with it.

"Come back!" CJ called, chasing after her.

Chad glanced to his lifelong friends and raised an eyebrow. "You guys sure you want another kid?"

"Yes." Gabriella answered.

"Maybe." Troy answered at the same time as Gabriella, causing both of them to look at each other wondering what the other was thinking.

Taylor tried to suppress her giggles while Chad just automatically started laughing.

In between couple arguments, cookie fighting, and a few tiring games of hide and seek, the rest of the day went pretty smoothly. After eating Troy and Chad showed Charity and CJ a few basketball plays. That followed up with the dads having a one on one game of their own. There was, of course, a small debate over whether the kids should skip their naptime or not. The parents ultimately decided to let the kids stay up and make sure they have an earlier bed time that night. Though not the best idea in most cases, neither CJ nor Charity proved to be a problem. A few hours later, Charity fell sound asleep on the slide. Troy picked her up and returned to Gabriella and their friends, only to see that Charity wasn't the only one who fell asleep.

"We should probably go to dinner a little later." Troy whispered to Gabriella as to not wake their daughter up. "Charity's out like a light."

"She's not the only one." Gabriella whispered back.

"Did CJ fall asleep, too?" Troy guessed.

Gabriella smiled and pointed to the nearby tree where not only was CJ sound asleep, but so was Chad and Taylor. CJ lay in his mom's lap cuddled up to her, while Taylor's arms were around him and her head resting gently on Chad's shoulder. It was amazing Troy hadn't caught on Chad was asleep, due to the fact that Chad was known for his snoring. But he was as quiet as can be, just snoozing silently with one arm around CJ and the other around Taylor and his head resting against hers.

"Aw, how cute is that?" Troy smiled quietly, watching them.

"Where's the camera?" Gabriella asked.

Troy looked at his wife. "Gabs we can't take a picture of them while they're sleeping. They could kill us for that."

"But they look so cute and peaceful." She responded.

"Well…I guess you're right." He agreed.

"I know I am." She giggled quietly. "Now hand me the camera?"

Troy sighed, knowing that when Gabriella knew she was right there was no stopping her. "Yes, dear." Holding Charity in one arm, he used his free hand to dig through Gabriella's pocketbook. He pulled out the camera and handed it to her. She took the camera and turned it on, looking to the screen with a smile.

"Their first family picture." She smiled softly before snapping the picture of the happy sleeping family.

* * *

I told yo guys I'd get the next chapter up before the end of the month. ^^ I was going to do it yesterday but i didn't have a chance. Plus it's a big pain in the butt doing a bunch of anythign with a ton of mosquito bites. Very uncomfortable, just saying. So now we have this new chapter up, which is pretty self-explanitory for what it is. And as usual I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'll see when the next time is that I add a chapter, which hopefully won't be too far away. And hopefully by then I will no longer by itchy. So now that I don't really know what else to say I guess the only thing left to say is, happy Saturday!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own HSM.

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Sometimes when you're expecting lemons from life, you get apples. There's always an unexpected turn that it's going to take. Sometimes it could be the shock of a person's life or it could be the smallest thing. Often, a person's job is pretty predictable. They go through the same thing every day and have a particular routine to follow. Or work a certain amount of hours knowing what's expected from them and then go home once the job is done. But even if you know something is coming, if you're just waiting for a certain blow to hit, then it's just as much of a shock when it comes. What may be even more surprising than what happens is what you get in return.

When Taylor walked into work the next morning, she was quite surprised to see how crowded it was at first; and the store hadn't even opened. She had quickly realized that everyone in the store were fellow co-workers. Every employee in the store was never all there at once. Surely there had to be some explanation. Catching a glimpse of one of the workers she did recognize, Taylor walked over.

"Morning, Vanessa." She greeted. "What's going on here?"

She turned to Taylor and raised an eyebrow. "You mean you didn't hear?"

"Apparently not." Taylor shook her head, for once not quite in the loop. "What didn't I hear?"

"Our jerk of a boss got fired this past weekend." Vanessa answered.

Taylor looked at the brunette shocked. Not that she was that surprised to hear a horrible boss such as him get fired, but it was why it was so sudden that shocked her, and where exactly it had come from. "What exactly happened?"

"He was treating so many of the workers unfairly." Vanessa answered. "He made them work overtime, he cursed them out…there's even rumors going around that he was messing with some of the female workers and then firing them or something. I'd hate to be any one of those."

"Right…" Taylor nodded, not exactly wanting to admit that she was one of the workers their now former boss had verbally abused at some point. "Me, too."

At that point, a shot man in a blue suit with an over comb walked into the store. He was just hanging up his cell phone and removing his sunglasses before looking around the store. Taylor had recognized him from late last week as the owner. He had to have been the one that called everyone in, perhaps to make an announcement of some sort.

"People, people!" he called, snapping his fingers. "Gather around up front, I have a very important announcement. Those of you who still need to clock in, that can wait. Those of you that aren't supposed to be on the clock right now…you still can't go anywhere."

As the owner took out a small comb to brush his mustache, the employees gathered in front of him forming a straight line. Everyone waited patiently for him to speak again, wondering exactly what it was that he had to say. Once the owner put his comb away, he cleared his throat and turned to the group.

"For those of you who don't know or recognize me, I am the owner of this store. Please, just call me Mr. O." he began. "And for those of you who also don't know, your boss was recently fired. And by recently, I mean two days ago." He gave everyone who wasn't aware of that a few moments to exchange gasps, glances, and whispers. Mr. O then continued, "Now in light of this, I have put up signs, blogs, and flyers looking for new employment. This will be a perfect time to make some changes around here. And not just with new workers. I'm talking about with all of you. I'm going to be assigning managers to this place, all based off of the experience you each hold. The new workers I will eventually hire will be your employees and you will be the ones in charge. However, when I say 'you' I don't mean, you." He paused for a minute to point to one of the workers off the clock who had come in dressed like a clown. "What I mean by 'you' is a small group of you. Those of you who will be promoted to a managerial position will work different hours and oversee different things. For example, one manager will be in charge of anything mechanical or technological. Another will be in charge of money and stock. Get the point? Good. Now are there any questions?"

Taylor raised her hand. "Are there any benefits to working a high position?" she inquired.

"Higher pay, of course." Mr. O answered as-a-matter-of-factly. "Not to mention a few added health benefits, our highest one being dental care."

"Why dental care?" the man in the clown suit asked.

"Because I'm the owner, I hate wearing false teeth, and I said so!" Mr. O snapped, obviously not a big fan of that particular worker. "Now I have no need for you anymore right now, so get out Koppleman."

The clown man sighed and slowly left the building.

"Why do I feel like I'm watching some comedy for children now?" Vanessa muttered to Taylor.

"Now, I will be at this store with you all for a while. I will take care of hiring new workers and overseeing how the changes go. Each of you that I have selected eligible for promotion, you will have at least a week to let me know your decision. At least tell me by the end of the week if you're considering the job. At that point I will tell the second person I have mind and we'll see who gets the job. If anyone has any questions, you all know my e-mail. If you don't, then see me in the back office. Now everyone, clock in and start setting up." With that said, everyone started spreading out either walking out the front doors or going to start their jobs. However, Mr. O still had his eye on someone. He snapped his fingers to get their attention. "Mrs. Danforth, a moment in my office please."

Taylor stopped and turned around to him. She wondered what it was that he wanted to talk to her about. "Of course, sir." She nodded before following him to the back. Once in the office, Mr. O sat behind the desk and logged onto the computer. Taylor took the seat across from him, her hands in her lap as she patiently waited for him to start talking. All she could think of was that she hoped she wasn't in trouble. When she had briefly spoken to him last week, he was asking her how work was going. It couldn't have possibly been because of that, that the guy had gotten fired was it? Even if he deserved it, Taylor would still feel bad about causing someone to lose their job.

Once Mr. O was finished what he was doing, he placed his hands on the desk and turned to Taylor. "You weren't the only one Mr. Davison was treating horribly. There were many others involved. And I must say you've handled yourself here really well."

"Thank you, sir." Taylor responded. "I was just trying to do my job and balance that with my son."

"Believe me, there are a few other single moms in your position. One of which that I had caught Mr. Davison messing with on a camera in the corner." Mr. O told her.

"Actually, I'm not quite a single mom anymore. My husband came home this weekend." She admitted.

"Did he?" the owner asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"It's a long story." Taylor said. "The short version is he was pronounced dead instead of MIA. So I had been given false information about him."

"Well, that's good to know everything is turning out well." Mr. O nodded, seeming to be going along with it. "What if I were to tell you everything would turn out better?"

"That depends on what you mean." Taylor admitted, not quite sure where he was going with this. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"I'm about to offer you position as one of the managers." Mr. O answered.

"What?" Taylor gasped, not expecting that at all.

"I've looked over your records. One of your strongest points is working with numbers. You look at things from a logical point of view and come up with clever strategies. Therefore, I think the stock manager would be the perfect position for you." He explained.

Taylor blinked and lost her breath, just trying to take this all in. It was completely unexpected. So many questions were running through her head right now. Should she take the job? Should she talk to Chad? Should she find out more? "Wow…" was all she could manage to get out.

"Well, like I said you can have the week to think about it and let me know if you're considering it." Mr. O offered. "If you say you are and I offer the position to the next best person but they tell me they want it first, you'll still be working the cash register."

Taylor nodded. "I understand."

"Like I said, if you have any questions then feel free to e-mail me." He replied.

"I wish I could have some questions right now," she admitted, "but this is just so sudden."

"Of course." He comprehended. "Let me know what you decide. You're working until three today, right?"

"Yes, my husband's picking me up and then we're going to get our son from school." Taylor answered.

"Well I'll let you get to your work then. I know how the Monday rushes can get." Mr. O said. "And when you go back out, could you just tell someone to run to 7 Eleven and buy me a coffee? Black. But pick up a few sugars. And a small bag of trail mix would be nice, too. Or if the store has some form of chili cheese fries, even better."

Taylor nodded, mentally taking notes. "Got it, sir." She then got up from the chair and headed back out. As much as she'd love to continue dwelling on the idea of being in charge, or that there just might be some job in the store better than her current position Taylor just had to focus on her work for the day. But this was definitely going to be news to share with Chad. She wondered how he would take it.

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After Taylor clocked out later that day and walked out into the parking lot, she could already see Chad leaning up against the car and smiling as he was waiting for her. She smiled and headed over to him. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." He grinned. "How was work?"

"Pretty interesting, actually." Taylor answered.

"How so?" he inquired.

"The idiot we used to call sir or boss there got fired by the owner," Taylor explained, "so now the owner is looking to hire new employees and looking to promote some of us to managers to make everything run better and smoother."

"That's awesome." Chad said, not quite catching on yet.

Taylor nodded. "And this morning he took me into his office. He said that I'm his first choice as one of the managers."

Chad's smile grew, knowing what that meant. "Tay that's awesome!" he exclaimed, hugging her. "Did you take the job?"

Taylor smiled at his reaction, but shook her head once he pulled back. "No, not yet. I want to figure out how much better it might be than working the register.

"When we were at the park Gabriella told me how much you hated your job. Why would you stay with the thing you hate now?" he asked.

"This isn't something I can just jump into." Taylor told him. "Once I get my head cleared I need to send an e-mail to the owner and ask any questions I have about the job, what else of the job I'm required to do besides what he told me, not to mention find out what the hours are like. I mean, I can't take a job with extra hours when you just got home and I'll be damned if you're going to start looking for a job within your first week of being home."

"I'll figure something out." Chad promised. "But in the meantime, you gotta figure out what you wanna do. Stay at the register, or take the promotion."

"Honestly I wish I knew." She sighed. "But how do I know if the new position would be any better than the old one? Or if I'll even like it better?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "You don't. And you're not gonna know unless you try."

Taylor nodded. She knew he was right. And boy, did Chad love being right. "I get the message. So how about we go get CJ from school?"

"Yeah." Chad agreed getting in the car. "Oh, and I talked to Troy today. He called me on his lunch break."

"And he said?" Taylor inquired as she buckled up.

"He asked what I was doing and I told him I was just sitting on the couch flipping through channels." Chad answered as he started the engine, and then pulled out of the parking lot. "But I did do a little dusting today so don't think I was sitting on my happy little butt today. Actually, my butt was pretty depressed when I made it get up."

Taylor giggled. "Shut up. I don't want to hear about the emotions going through your bottom."

"Then I won't tell you what song came out from it after I ate lunch." Chad laughed jokingly.

She playfully slapped him when he stopped at a red light. "Can we get back to your conversation with Troy before I actually decide to get sick from your talking?"

"Alright, alright." Chad chuckled, giving in. "Troy also offered to watch CJ one night so we could do a little catching up."

Taylor quirked an eyebrow and folded her arms, though if she knew Chad as well as she did then she knew exactly what he was thinking. "What kind of catching up?"

"The intimate kind." Chad answered with a knowing smile.

Bingo. Did she know him or did she know him? "It is awfully tempting…" Even Taylor had to admit that. Who was she kidding? It was more than just temping. Where was a nice big bush to park behind or something? But she didn't want to let Chad know that easily that she was more than interested. Besides, another thought had come to mind. "What about CJ?"

"He'll be with Troy and Gabs." Chad shrugged his shoulders. "That's what Troy meant when he said he'd watch CJ. Maybe even let him spend the night and have a little sleepover with Charity."

"Not on a school night, no." Taylor shook her head.

"Come on, we've had plenty of sleepovers on our school nights." Chad pointed out.

"That was different. We were older. Much older. And spent at least a half hour studying or doing some form of homework." Taylor responded.

"As opposed to spending the entire night nonstop making out?" Chad grinned.

"Alright, now you're just trying to turn me on." She said, seeing right through him.

An automatic 'dang' went right through Chad's head, almost thinking he had convinced her. It wasn't that he wanted CJ out of the house, not a chance. But he did want some alone time with Taylor. And who ever said it would be a bad idea to let him spend one school night with a friend? With VJ's basketball and how well he was doing in school, he probably deserved it. Chad didn't understand the problem. But knowing from experience how focused Taylor usually was on her studies, she wouldn't have any child of hers slacking off. And a sleepover did sound an awful lot like a distraction.

"So…I take it, it's not working then?" Chad assumed.

Taylor looked at him with a look that just screamed, 'duh'.

Chad nodded, catching it from the corner of his eye as he drove. Then he remembered something. "Doesn't CJ have some sort of test this week?"

"A history exam, yes." She nodded. "And unfortunately, it's his worst subject. He has it Wednesday and after staying late at school for basketball and then spending any time before dinner doing homework, I need to help him study."

"Perfect." Chad said. "If CJ does well on the test then we can reward him with a sleepover a weeknight at Charity's."

"That depends, what would you define as well for him on history?" she inquired.

"I guess like a B or something." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Letter grades are for report cards. His tests are always scored out of 100." She responded.

"Then above an 80." He said.

"That was his score on the last history exam." Taylor replied.

"Was it any better than previous history grades?" he asked.

"Well most of his other history grades were in the seventy's…." Taylor admitted, though it was mostly to herself.

"So if he does better than an 80, then CJ will really deserve a night of fun. School night or not." Chad pointed out.

"Do you really think that, or is it just for us?" Taylor asked.

"Both, I guess." Chad said. "It means alone time for us, and CJ gets to see his friend a night when he really can't and he's rewarded for doing a good job."

Taylor thought about it for a minute. Stubborn as she was and knowing that Chad was right, she still hated admitting she was wrong. Stupid pride. "You sure Troy and Gabriella wouldn't mind having him over?"

"Troy insisted on it." He said. "He loves the idea. And how could Gabs possibly hate it?"

"Well…you do bring up some good points…. And…well, I guess…I suppose you are kind of right." Taylor admitted slowly. She finally caved and sighed heavily before nodding. "Alright. But if for some reason it doesn't work out, we'll need to wait much longer."

"Got it, got it, and got it." Chad nodded more than happily. He pulled up to the school and looked around the side streets for a parking space. "Dang, looks like everyone else got the good spots."

Taylor glanced around from her window. "Do you wanna drop me off here and then walk over? The parking lot is at the further end, so at least you'll be able to find a parking spot there."

"Alright." He said, briefly stopping the car and putting it in park. "See you in a few. Tell CJ I'll be right there, too."

"I will." Taylor responded and pecked him on the cheek before getting out of the car. She watched Chad drive to the parking lot before stepping onto the school property and heading to the main entrance to meet CJ. And, wouldn't you know it; much to her disdain as she approached there she saw none other than the idiot she had spoken to last week. Taylor rolled her eyes and reluctantly stood near him, as the other parents were crowded around to pick up their kids. "Dick." She said coldly.

"Taylor." He nodded, though didn't seem to be giving as much of a cold shoulder. "Still mad about what I told you last week?"

"Nothing you say scares me. I've got nothing to worry about." She answered, sure of herself.

He shook his head. "You bad parents are all the same."

"You really should watch what you're saying." Taylor warned. "Some people don't like being insulted nor messed with. I'm one of those people."

"Apparently your son is or else the other kids wouldn't pick on him so easily." Dick said.

"Maybe because he actually has some manners and wasn't raised by a Neanderthal. Like father like son. I call them as I see them." She shrugged.

He looked at her confused. "Did you just call me a caveman?"

Taylor chuckled. "Wow, someone who doesn't know who a Neanderthal ever was."

"I can report you." He threatened.

"Yeah, and I know someone who could kick your butt." Taylor answered. Yes, she said it. And even though she wouldn't be the one doing any butt kicking, it still felt pretty good to say someone could do it.

Dick was about to respond to that, however CJ ran out of the school building followed by Dick's son. CJ ran right over to Taylor, clutching to her leg. Taylor looked down at him and picked him up in her arms, as Dick's son leaned up against his father laughing and pointing at CJ.

"Speak of the devil." Taylor muttered.

"And speak of the wuss." Dick countered.

"You gotta watch what mean thing you talks bout." CJ told Dick. "My daddy not gonna be very happy."

Dick laughed loudly, nowhere near taking the boy seriously. "Your daddy died remember? He got killed in the war. What's he gonna do to me?" Even though it was a really bad idea to act that way in front of the mother and son, that wasn't going to stop Dick. After all, no one could hurt him here. None of the other parents were even paying attention. He was as good as off the hook. And if he really did get his way and separate these two, then it would make no difference to him what either of them had to say.

As if right on cue, that's when Chad walked over and slipped his arm around Taylor. "Hey Tay, I found a parking spot." He told her with a smile. He looked down at his son. "Hey buddy, how was school today."

Dick's son looked up at his father, having absolutely no clue what was even going on. Dick, on the other hand, just had his jaw dropped. What the heck was going on here? "You…you…" Yup, he was stammering. "You said your husband was dead. You went into this whole emotion rampage and everything."

Taylor looked at Dick and smirked. Oh, he was gonna get it now. She looked at Chad, then back at the jerk.

"Died in battle, or back from the dead?" Chad questioned him with a grin.

Dick took a step back, actually getting a bit freaked out.

"BOO!" Chad yelled, just to freak him out.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Dick screamed before running away as fast as he could.

"Wait for me, Dad!" the boy called, struggling to follow him.

Chad couldn't help but laughed as they rushed off. He knew that with him around no one would dare mess with his family.

"You showed, them Dad!" CJ cheered. "Mean boys go bye-bye!"

"That was so horrible." Taylor giggled.

"C'mon, you know they deserve it." Chad playfully nudged Taylor.

"They did. They really did." She agreed, still giggling.

"Do we get to mess with them again?" CJ asked.

"No, that was just in good fun. They needed someone to mess with them." Chad told him. "You can't do that to anyone else. Promise us you'll be good."

CJ nodded slowly. "Ok. I be good."

The three of them then walked over to the car. "So, other than what I overheard going on, what else did that guy say to bug you?" Chad asked.

Taylor shook her head, deciding not to tell him. Everything was better now; there was nothing to worry about. And now that the dick knew Chad was back and willing to hurt him if it needed to go that far, he wouldn't dare mess with their family. "Nothing. Nothing at all."

* * *

A little quiter than I wanted the chapter to end, but it seemed like a good place. I had to get that last part in the chapter, definitely cause all of you that have been reading the story wanted to see the Dick guy wet his pants or something. XD So things are going super well with the characters in this story now and it looks like everything is alright with the story world. ^^ Hope you guys are enjoying it, and there will be more to come. I've got a couple more weeks till school starts, so I'm hoping to have this story done by then. I wanted to get my HSM version of Princess and the Frog going by the time I start school, if not within the first week or so. And as usual, feel free to review and i'll get the next chapter up...sometime after I type it up.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own anything HSM related.  
Note: This chapter has more description than I've written so far. So to be on the safe side, this chapter is rated as heavy teen.

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It was amazing how real dreams could feel. So many times had Taylor's dreams felt so real and she truly believed it was her reality up until she would wake in the morning or something would disturb her peaceful sleep. Half of the things she had ever expected to actually happen to her often felt like things she could only experience in her subconscious. Even now, through all she had been blessed with, she still felt like she was living a dream only to be waiting impatiently to wake up and realize that none of it was real.

Sometimes that was just the thing with her. Even though Taylor never knew what would happen in her dreams or what odd thoughts would circle her mind as she slept, she had always felt more prepared for those than she ever did for life itself. Every time she bought a new electronic device the first thing she would do was read the instructions. As soon as she would start a new class, she would read over the syllabus carefully and even skim through the textbook to know what they would be covering. Even though the unpredictability that was raising a child, Taylor had still done all she could to prepare herself from the journey, everything from reading parenting books to attending classes to talking to other parents. Life was the one thing that she could never fully prepare herself for. Every unexpected twist and turn it had taken, she knew they were real but not once had she honestly thought they could happen to her. Taylor didn't think she could lose her father at such a young age, but she did and for so many years just continued walking into her home and expecting to see him drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. She never expected her mother to get cancer or even survive; every morning Taylor feared waking up to see her mother dead, and after her mother was cured Taylor still came home thinking it was all a dream or perhaps that the whole ordeal was just some nightmare she had finally woken up from. She didn't think she'd get pneumonia in elementary school, yet every morning she was sick she woke up feeling just as bad as the day before until she got over it. Even after hearing about Chad she had still waited by the phone expecting him to call or looking out the window to see when he'd come home.

Perhaps all of those things were just pure denial for her. But as stubborn as Taylor was, even she knew she had a slight problem. And in light of that, she found herself wondering when she would finally snap out of it and realize that her life now was not at all a dream, but in fact her reality. Taylor didn't know who to possibly thank for all she had been given, whether it was as simple as her life naturally being as good as it was, or the work of God himself or perhaps some other all mighty force. Whoever to thank, for when Taylor would find herself snapping out of it, she would do just that.

The week had gone by slowly, but Taylor found herself adapting so much easier to the changes. She hadn't been more excited to see Chad waiting eagerly on the couch for her when she returned home. Taylor had informed the owner she was indeed considering the position and would give him a final answer at the beginning of the week. CJ had been doing even better at school and his history grade reflected it. Finding out that Friday of his near perfect score on the history exam, Taylor agreed to let him not just spend the night with Troy and Gabriella, but the whole weekend. She and Chad would go to the house Sunday morning for brunch and then take the kids to the zoo for the day. With the weekend plans now in place, it was the perfect time for her and Chad to spend the much needed alone time together.

After dropping CJ off on their way back from school, Taylor walked into the house feeling just a bit exhausted from the crazy day she had experienced at work. A whole group of people had come in that day to buy much stuff and then some for some party or family reunion. Needless to say, with over three times as many people as she was used to having in there at once, Taylor needed the rest. But when she walked in the door, she was shocked to find the lights off and the room cleaned, the only light visible were numerous lit candles. The blinds were down, the house was silent, and there was a delicious sensation of smells coming from the kitchen which she knew could only mean one thing – Chad had been cooking. Removing her jacket and placing her pocketbook down, Taylor glanced around the room once more to locate her husband, yet to no avail.

"What's going on in here?" she asked softly, knowing well that Chad had heard her come in but was playing some sort of game.

Then, coming down the stairs in nothing but a silky blue bathrobe was Chad himself, with a playful smirk on his face. Taylor knew that look well – he had been planning something all day and had everything down to the last detail thought out. "You like?" he asked her.

Taylor nodded and slowly made her way over to him. "What did you do in here?" she couldn't help but ask.

"You'll find out soon enough." He responded with a wink. "But as you can see, I cleaned the whole living room. Dusted, vacuumed, deodorized…"

Taylor took a moment to sniff the air. She knew what air freshener he had used, though she did not recognize it was one she usually kept in the house. Chad must have done some shopping during the day as well. "Blueberry Falls."

"Perfect combination of fresh waterfall air and blueberries." Chad grinned.

"What else did you do that I should know about?" she asked curiously.

Chad took her hand and held it in his. "You know you look like you're in a daze." He observed, temporarily ignoring her question.

"Or maybe just a dream come true." She stated.

"But this isn't a dream. It's real. And I'm going to prove it to you." He replied.

Taylor quirked an eyebrow. "By pinching me?"

Chad chuckled lightly, but shook his head. "Follow me." He answered, leading her back upstairs. Taylor followed him as they walked slowly, almost like he was teasing her, towards the bathroom. Walking inside Taylor saw the bathtub filled with water. A few small, scented candles rested around the sink and the counter giving it such a relaxing feel. Chad then led her over to the tub and stood behind her before putting his hands on her shoulders. "You look stressed." He said.

"Must be from the craziness of work." Taylor sighed contently at the feel of his comforting hands.

Chad smiled. "Then just relax. Leave all the distressing to me. Tonight is all about us."

"And how does you calming me down make it about us?" she inquired.

"Because when you're stressed I feel it. So I'm gonna help." He answered. Chad then started lightly rubbing his hands on her arms.

Taylor smiled, even through her shirt able to feel his hands on her bare skin. "That feels so good." She said softly.

"Leave it all to me." Chad whispered seductively into her ear, causing a few chills to run down her spine. Moving his hands around to her front, he slowly began to unbutton the top to her shirt before pushing the sleeves down and exposing her shoulders. He then moved his hands down underneath her shirt and brushed them against her waist, slowly moving them up and down her body. Keeping his hands underneath her shirt, he then lightly rubbed her back in a circular motion. He could feel Taylor leaning closer to him, her back almost resting against his chest. Chad smiled at how close it made them feel.

He then lifted the bottom of her shirt a little and traced small lines with his fingers around her stomach. From that a light moan escaped Taylor and Chad continued to do that. As he did that, he rested his hand on her shoulder and placed a few light kisses around her collar bone. Taylor leaned up against him and closed her eyes, letting the sensations of how all this felt slowly consume her body. As Chad began kissing up her collarbone Taylor knew that he was feeling around for her soft spot, trying to rediscover it. As soon as he found it, Chad began planting kisses all around it as though he were marking the area knowing to return to it later. He then moved his hands down and unbuckled her pants. Taylor let out another moan as his hands landed on her thighs and slowly pulled her pants down. He then slowly moved his hands up, his hands exploring her bare skin. They then slipped back under her shirt and around to her front before resting on her chest. Chad continued kissing her neck, refusing to pull away. The fact that he was refusing to pull away and therefore couldn't take her shirt off without doing so was driving Taylor crazy. She had to do something that she knew would get him to move before she couldn't take it anymore.

"Chad." She softly moaned his name.

Hearing that instantly caused him pleasure, as he moaned into his many kisses. Taylor smiled realizing what she was now doing to him. As little as it was, there was still a feeling she had of being right next to him that she could have never experienced in her wildest dreams.

"Chad." She moaned again.

Chad briefly pulled away and whispered seductively into her ear, "Baby, don't rush the fun now. We're just getting started."

It was obvious he was getting turned on by this. But still refusing to give into desire, he went on with the plan as he imagined it. But when he felt Taylor's hand move and rested it on his upper leg, that got a moan out of him and he knew that if he did pick it up soon then she would. He pulled away from her neck and tugged the shirt over her head. Taylor smiled at her accomplishment. But it was short lived because as soon as her shirt was off, Chad resumed kissing her neck. He moved his hands onto her waist and Taylor placed her hands over his. She leaned her head back as to let him gain better access to her soft spot. Chad smirked playfully into the kiss, knowing she was going to regret letting him do that so easily. The next thing Taylor knew, Chad was lightly nipping at her neck. Taylor bit her bottom lip, doing her best not to let him know he was causing her such pleasure. Chad tried to move his hands off her waist and to move them back up her body, but Taylor tightened her grip on them making it more than difficult for Chad to move his hands. He struggled to get them loose but Taylor wasn't letting up. She was really going to let him have it, Chad just knew it. But he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction. He moaned as he continued to kiss her neck and felt that her grip let up slightly. He moaned a little louder and that caused Taylor to moan. Letting out one more loud moan, Taylor let her hands fall off of his. Chad smiled and moved his hands back up her body and onto her back, unhooking her bra. It dropped to the ground, discarded with the rest of her clothes.

Trying to compose herself through all of the pleasure, Taylor moved her hands back in attempt to grab the ties of his bathrobe. Chad teased her a little by taking a simple step back and causing Taylor to lose grip of the end. She moved her hands down and Chad stepped closer to her, continuing to mark her. Keeping one hand at her side, Taylor moved her other one back towards him. Chad lightly tilted to the opposite side to avoid it, but Taylor caught him off guard by easily grabbing his bathrobe with her free hand. Clearly he had underestimated her. He allowed her to place her other hand on the other end and she pulled on them, trying to untie his robe. Once she managed to get that done, she stepped back so she was leaning right up against his bare chest. Chad smiled at the feeling, forgetting how nice their bare skins felt against each other like that. As he moved his hands down and removed the last of her garments, Taylor managed to get him out of his bathrobe, revealing that as buff as he was ever underneath, he wasn't wearing anything. Chad reluctantly pulled away, leaving Taylor whining a little. Chad stepped into the tub first, and then held his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her into the tub. They leaned up against each other as they had, her back against his chest, and slowly descended into the water. They sat down in the warm water, Chad's arms around Taylor's waist and her hands on top of his with their fingers laced. Chad leaned up against the wall and spread his legs out where Taylor sat in between them. Remembering the tub was also a Jacuzzi, Chad moved one of his hands and felt around behind him for the knob to turn it on. Once he turned it on they could feel the numerous bubbles surround their bodies. Chad placed his arm back around Taylor and let his hands explore her body. Taylor mimicked his actions, letting her hands roam all around any part of his body that she could reach. They sat in the warm bubbling water in a comfortable silence just enjoying their time together.

Taylor rested her head on the crook of his neck, rubbing against him and getting more than one moan out of him. Chad's hand rapidly explored her body, arousing her. He resumed with planting kisses on her neck, beginning to cover it with his marks. Taylor found herself moaning more and louder as he did that. She now quickly came to the realization that this couldn't have been a dream. None of this could. This was her life. She was here with Chad. They were together. And suddenly, no matter what was happening it just felt like the world was at peace. Now if only she could get that certain peace of mind that she needed. Just something so she could finally admit out loud that it was real. As much of a fairy tale as this felt like, maybe it was. A fairy tale come true. Her fairy tale. And somehow, Chad knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Still think this is a dream?" he asked her softly as he broke from kissing her neck.

"Maybe…" she answered almost a little too innocently.

Chad faintly chuckled. "Maybe?"

Taylor turned her head so she could make eye contact with him. "I've dreamed of being with you so many times. And no matter how real any of those dreams felt, there was always one thing that made me realize before waking up that I really had been dreaming. As much as my imagination can copy real life, there are just some things that aren't the same."

"Anything I can do that will prove to you this is reality?" he asked curiously, lightly rubbing his hand in circles around her front.

"There might be…" Taylor answered, really playing hard to get.

Chad smirked. She was so doing this just to tease him. Even after all this time, she knew how he operated. "Care to elaborate?" he asked just as innocently.

"My memory of you is always perfect. Everything that you do and say, I remember. But there are still certain things only you know how to do that I don't. And whether it's in reality or my imagination, only you will know it. It's the one thing that separates them from each other." She explained.

Chad thought for a minute. "Style my hair?" he joked.

Taylor giggled. "No, not that."

"Ok, I give up." Chad chuckled enjoying making her laugh. "What is it?"

Taylor smiled. "Make love to me."

Chad could say he was shocked to hear that, not quite expecting Taylor to come flat out and as that. She had never been that kind of girl. There would always be even the smallest action to show that she wanted it. But the words would never escape her mouth. So just hearing her ask that put a huge smile on his face. He couldn't describe the feelings he had in him nor could he imagine how much stronger they could only get from here.

"I thought you'd never ask." Chad smiled.

He turned off the Jacuzzi and drained the water from the tub, then got up. He picked up Taylor in his arms and carried her out of the bathroom and into their room. Finally, they closed the door behind them and let the rest of the night to everyone else's imaginations.

* * *

So now we've got another chapter up. I wanted to do one that specifically focused on Chad and Taylor's relationship. I know some of you have been wondering what is going on and why Taylor has been acting the way she was, and aside from trying to emphasize how stubborn she can be at certain points, I also want to try and leave things to the imagination. But the other point of this chapter was to also show what was going through her head and to maybe hint a little to the reasons why she was so hesitant, or to add the insult to injury so to speak. The chapter was mostly descriptions and like I said in the beginning before the chapter started, I believe it's the most description with anything I've used. So while I'm not comfortable writing anything M rated I wanted to consider this heavy T rated as opposed to just regular T. As usualy I hope you guys enjoyed it, and also feel free to share any thoughts you have. We shall see where the story goes from here. 0=) Happy Saturday everyone and always remember one thing...sometimes the imagination is so much better than reality. ^_^


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. I only own the characters I make up that will last for this story only.

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"Oh crap!" Taylor gasped as her eyes shot open. From her bedside she could see the time clearly on the alarm clock. It was well past eight a.m. and she had so much to do that morning. Nothing quite out of the ordinary, but never was she one to sleep in for anything. How the constant dinging of the alarm clock ever got by her was near impossible. In an instant, Taylor jumped out of bed and looked madly through her closet to find an outfit to wear to work for the day. "I'm going to be late," she muttered to herself as she thought about all she normally had to do. Aside from making breakfast, Taylor had to get CJ ready for school, get herself ready for work, have a quick talk with Chad to see what his plans were for the day, take CJ to school, get herself to work, maybe buy herself a coffee, find a decent parking space, somehow clock in right on time and then get right to her post. If everything like that was all clumped together then surely enough it seemed like plenty to do in less than an hour.

Taylor didn't even bother to do her hair just yet; she merely started by throwing on one of her usual uniforms and then dashed down the stairs. However, when she entered the kitchen she stopped dead in her tracks with her jaw close to dropping merely to see Chad and CJ eating contently and quietly. Taylor groaned and moved some of her bed headed bangs out of her face. "Don't tell me it's actually Sunday and I rushed to get up for no reason." She complained.

Chad turned to her and chuckled after swallowing the food in his mouth. "No, you have work today. It's not a weekend."

"Then why didn't my alarm go off? Why did I wake up so late?" she gasped.

"I turned it off." Chad answered. "I woke up when I heard the dinging and you were just so sound asleep and comfortable I didn't have the heart to wake you, so I let you sleep."

"And my job…?" Taylor inquired.

"Already called them and said you were running a bit late." He told her. "You don't have a thing to worry about."

CJ smiled and nodded. "Daddy did good today."

Taylor sighed with relief. When her son was right, he was right. Chad did do a good job. He let her sleep in, he called in work for her, and he even made breakfast for himself and CJ and got him dressed. How did she get so lucky to have him? "That was very sweet of you Chad. Thank you." Taylor said warmly, going over and pecking him on the cheek.

Chad smiled, enjoying such a reward as usual. "I'll go put a bagel in the toaster for you." He said getting out of his chair.

CJ put down his cup. "I'm done with food now." He said. "What do I do?"

"Go upstairs and brush your teeth." Taylor told him.

"Kaykay." CJ nodded, obeying his mother and heading upstairs to the bathroom.

Taylor then walked over to Chad at the counter. "Better make that bagel to go, honey. Looks like I'm going to be eating at work."

"No way. I already told your place you were running late so you might as well stick to it." He responded. "Besides, I told CJ I'd take him to school."

"You don't have to do that, you know." She said softly, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I know." He nodded slipping his arm around her and gently rubbing her arm. "But you do so much around here; you deserve to be cut some slack. Besides I gotta step up my game a little, too."

"Come on, your kissing wasn't that bad last night." Taylor teased playfully.

Chad smiled and shook his head. "I'm not talking about that." He chuckled, though not before adding quickly, "Speaking of my kissing last night how was it?"

Taylor smiled well aware that she got him started. "All to perfect." She answered, leaning up and pecking his lips.

He smiled, yet let out a small whine when she pulled away. "That all I get?"

"Don't worry, there's plenty more where that came from." Taylor promised with a wink.

"You know I can't wait for that." Chad grinned as the bagel popped out.

CJ then came down the stairs with his backpack in hand. "I ready for school now."

The parents turned to him. "I'll take you in a couple of minutes. Let me get my wallet and car keys."

"What do you need your wallet for? You're not buying anything on the road this morning." Taylor stated.

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "It's got my driver's license in it. Kinda need that to drive."

"Show off." She playfully nudged him as he headed into the living room to gather his things. Taylor took a quick bite out of her bagel before following him in.

"You won't leave before I get home will you?" Chad asked her.

"Wouldn't have it any other way." She answered. Then turning to CJ, Taylor knelt down to his level. "Have a good day at school, ok?"

"I will." CJ smiled. "Cause the mean kid don't bother me no more."

Chad chuckled. "I knew I scared him good."

Taylor rolled her eyes and smiled. "Just make sure you don't go getting into any trouble, ok?" she told CJ.

"I will." CJ promised. "I do real good in school."

"Then we'd better not keep school waiting. Let's get going." Chad said.

"Kay daddy." CJ replied. "By mommy."

Taylor kissed CJ's head. "See you later."

She then got up and turned to Chad as CJ headed out to the car. "And I'll see you in a little bit."

"Count on it." Chad smiled, briefly kissing her.

After Chad took CJ to school and returned home, he and Taylor merely talked as she finished her breakfast and got ready for work. They didn't bother getting into anything physical nor intimate, both knowing that there wouldn't be much time for that. However, after making sure they had a nice long kiss Taylor took off for work. She arrived in pretty good time, though she was still about a half hour late. Parking the car and heading inside, it didn't take too long for her to get noticed.

"Taylor the owner's in the back." One of her co-workers at the cash register said. "He said he wanted to see you as soon as you came in."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "What for?" she wondered.

"I think he wants to brief you up on the meeting you missed before we opened up. Better go talk to him." She answered.

"Alright. Thanks for the heads up." Taylor nodded before heading to clock in. Once that was done, she knocked on the office door in the back. Upon waiting for a response, she took notice of her boss' office. His name had been removed from its plaque and inside it all looked so empty. There was nothing inside but an empty desk, bookshelf, and a small waist basket. Taylor snapped out of the image when she heard a simple 'come in'. Taylor turned the doorknob and entered the room. Sitting behind a desk staring at her was the same man she recalled seeing before. It was indeed the owner of the store. His appeared a bit on the short side and only had grey hair on his sides, though he was dressed for success and had a small pair of sunglasses on. For someone like him he appeared quite calm and relaxed.

"Please sit down." He said to her.

Taylor nodded and took the seat across from him.

"I remember you. You were the young woman clocking out that I talked to some time back." He stated. "You already know me as the owner, but please just call me Mr. O."

"Yes, sir." Taylor nodded. "I'm sorry for being tardy this morning."

"Your husband called and said you were going to be delayed. Is everything alright?" he wondered.

"It's no problem." Taylor answered. "I had a few things to do this morning and ended up running a little late.'

Mr. O took the moment to briefly flip through a folder. "Every record you have here shows you've arrived exactly on time." He told her. "You do realize we give time off here? The longer you work, the more sick or vacation days you're allowed. Likewise you could use those for half days or even in hours, though not excessively."

"I'm afraid my boss never took the time to explain everything in whole." She admitted. "But when I moved here with my son, I needed a job and this was the first I heard back from. So I took what I had and I've been here since. And now that my husband is back from the army, I just have a few things to adjust to."

Mr. O nodded. "Well, you don't need to worry about your former boss anymore. I discovered he was treating numerous workers unfairly, one of them you, and fired him. And it seems we're in need of a new manager."

"Come again?" Taylor wondered, not quite sure where he was going with this.

"The meeting you missed this morning was about the man getting fired and what we'll be doing in place of him. I will also be sticking around here to observe the store. I'll be seeing how everyone adjusts to the changes we make until everything is set, and I will also be open to assist hiring more employees." He explained. "I've decided that everything is really one-sided around here. We need more variety and we need more order and organization. So I've split the manager's job into five separate jobs. Each manager will be responsible for a particular field. For instance, the mechanics manager will be the one to look over anything electronic within the store, ranging from security to the simple registers. And of course, each manager will have different shifts. I've checked and double checked everyone's records here and have come up with my top three candidates for each position. All people will be informed individually about their position, but my final decision will be based on first come, first served. Whichever of the candidates comes to me first deciding they would like the job, I give it to them and they only lose the position if I see they do something wrong."

"So the meeting was about getting everyone acquainted with these new positions and everything?" Taylor inquired.

"Quite so." Mr. O nodded. "And, while I have you here, now's as good a time as any to tell you that you are my first choice for stock manager."

Taylor blinked, being caught way off guard. She had merely expected to speak to the manager about what she missed in the meeting or if there was anything she did wrong or needed to make up. Never had she imagined any form of promotion. Especially when she hadn't been working there so long to being with. "Excuse me?" she asked, wanting to make sure she heard correctly.

"Well everything about you shows what a math whiz you are. And I've noticed that you're quite good when it comes to arguments or debates of any kind. That would come quite handy in dealing with any competition or trouble." He stated.

"Is there any chance I could have some more information on the position?" she wondered.

"Of course." He nodded. Opening one of the desk drawers, he pulled out a form that pretty much stated everything the stock manager would have to do down to the last detail. "I'm sure this paper will answer all of your questions. But while I have you here, if you would so desire we could go over it."

Taylor nodded, not one to argue with that. And certainly should she have any additional questions this would be the perfect time to ask him. She took a moment to skim through the list. "So the job itself includes ordering supplies and looking over what we have and what we need?"

Mr. O nodded. "And because so much math is involved in ordering supplies, that's where the math portion comes in. While every manager will need to have simple math skills, the two positions that need the most knowledge are the stock manager and the mechanical manager. Any mechanic or technician needs to know the minimum of basic math to do their job. And especially when ordering anything or making any changes to the store, one must be able to work with numbers. In a case such as that which combines the two positions together, the stock and mechanical manager will need to work together."

"Is there any chance I could have an example?" she wondered.

He tapped his fingers together. "Let's say that we need a new security system in here, or the one we currently have needs to undergo some changes. The mechanical manager will have to know what supplies to order and how much each will cost in addition to having some knowledge on how to install it. In the meantime, the stock manager will need to know exactly what to get and how to get them for the best price possible. Does that answer your question?"

"Well enough, yes sir." Taylor nodded.

"Very good." The owner continued. "Now, as you can see, in some cases there will be extra hours. But with more responsibilities comes more time. You will have up to two days off a week, much like you do now, however the days that you have off will revolve around when the other managers are available to work. We'll be needing at least one manager in the store at a time, and mainly during afternoons and evenings there will be two. Three if it gets busy enough. For the ones that have families to look after, they'll be more likely to get the weekends off. However, a lot of my workers are family people, and more than one of them are also single parents."

"Understood." Taylor responded, taking in everything as she was told it. "Are there any benefits?"

"Just about as many benefits as any other worker." He answered. "Except their dental coverage is nearly completely covered while the regular workers only get a portion of it covered."

"What about other medical coverage or insurance?" Taylor wondered.

"That's none of my business. I'm the owner and I say dental care!" He pounded his fist onto the desk merely for emphasis. "Now, do you have any other questions for me?"

"Not too many at the moment. I will need to talk this over with my husband." Taylor said. "But how much time do we have to give you an answer?"

"Like I said, first come first served." He answered. "But by the end of the week is just fine, too."

Taylor nodded her head and rose from the chair. "Thank you very much for the chance, sir."

"No problem, young lady." He responded. "Now if you have any more questions, shoot me an email. I will have them answered for you. And throughout the day I will be informing my other choices of the position."

"Of course." She understood. "Thank you again, Mr. O." With that said, she exited the office and proceeded to her register to start working. However, that didn't stop her throughout the day of thinking everything over. As much as Taylor really wanted to quit and find a better job, she couldn't help but consider the possibilities. Every break she had, she looked over the form more than once. Sure she would have to work a little more, but with Chad home now it shouldn't be as much of a problem; and as long as she could get at least Saturday or Sunday off then there shouldn't be too much of a problem. Having just working for the owner meant covered dental care was an added bonus, though with CJ always agreeing to brush his teeth so easily there was never much for her to be concerned with in the first place. Having to get along with another manager who she didn't even know who would be was the tricky one. Sure, Taylor got along well with a decent number of co-workers, but there was still one or two she had gotten off on the wrong foot with and would just be trouble if that person would end up the other manager. Then of course there was the topic of payment. Her salary would be worth much more than it was now. An exact number would estimate to over twice as much as she was getting paid now. Surely that was a part to consider as well. She wondered what Chad would think of all this.

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"Oh wow Tay, that's amazing!" Chad exclaimed that night once Taylor had told him and CJ of the offer. "I can't believe you're practically getting a promotion handed to you!"

"Does that mean you gonna be an exective type person, mommy?" CJ asked eagerly.

"Executive." Taylor corrected him with a giggle. "And the official title is stock manager. But dealing with money and any phone conferences involved are just as much in the job description as a normal executive."

"Well I'm still proud of you." Chad smiled, kissing her cheek. "You deserve it."

"Do I deserve more hours, too?" Taylor wondered, handing him the paper Mr. O had given her that morning.

As Chad looked through what everything said, CJ looked up to Taylor and asked, "Does that mean you never gonna be home?"

"Of course I'll be home." Taylor promised, helping him onto her lap. "It just means I'll be coming home a little later than I normally would."

"And you'd be making more money." Chad added with a whistle.

"Don't think that means you're off the hook. You still have to look for a job eventually." She reminded him.

"Aw, shucks. And here I thought I'd be living the high life by sitting on my butt." Chad joked, which got a laugh out of CJ.

Taylor smiled and playfully nudged him. "Nothing is set in stone, you know. We really have to think about this."

Chad shook his head and handed the form back to her. "We don't have to think about anything. It's all you, Tay."

Taylor looked at him puzzled. Chad always had a say in everything, no matter what. Why the sudden change of heart? "Chad, this is something that affects all of us. It's a family decision, not mine."

"I trust your judgment. And I know CJ does, too." He explained. "This is your job, so only you can decide what's right. I know you said how much you wanted to work somewhere else, and this wouldn't be much of a change, but it's also a matter of what you'd be more comfortable doing. Who knows if you're gonna get something like this again."

"Sounds more like you're telling me your opinion." She noticed.

Chad smiled. Alright, that was half right. She was always quick on him. "I'm also telling you what I'd do. But you don't have to make a decision now either. Think about it. And like the owner man said, send him an email with any more questions. Maybe then you can come up with the answer you're looking for."

"I suppose you are right." Taylor admitted, setting the paper down on the coffee table as CJ picked up a Rubik's Cube and started working on how to solve it, more focused on that than his parents.

Chad smiled softly and placed one of his hands over hers. "Tay I've got nothing less than 150% faith in you. I know you'll choose whatever makes you happy."

She lightly scoffed at that. "Believe me, nothing about that job makes me happy." Then she smiled and met her eyes with his. "But coming home to my boys everyday does. And that's all that matters."

"Good." Chad smiled. "Cause that's all that means to me, too. And that's what I'm gonna keep in mind when I start job hunting. Nothing gets in the way of family ever again."

"Even though you've said that constantly, just knowing that it's true still makes me feel better." She admitted.

"I only live to please." Chad chuckled lightly.

Taylor giggled as well, not letting the smile disappear from her face. Even though things were starting to look even better than before, it paled in comparison to what they had now. And if Chad would no longer let any line of work get in the way of his family, then neither would Taylor. "I love you." She told him softly.

"I love you more." Chad smiled. They then leaned in to kiss, only to be interrupted by CJ sticking his Rubik's Cube right in their faces and blocking their lips from each other.

"I finished the cube!" he cheered with a smile.

And suddenly the romantic moment disappeared. Taylor smiled and admired her son's work. "I think that's the fastest you've completed it."

"In like five minutes?" Chad gasped. "No way."

"New record!" CJ clapped his hands.

As happy as that did make Chad, it didn't stop the fun spirit of competitiveness. "I'll beat that record." He said. "CJ, mix up the cube. I'm goin in."

CJ smiled and happily started undoing his work, but Taylor shook her head. "You can't beat his record, Chad."

"I can try." Chad responded, taking the cube once it was done and got right to work on trying to complete it.

"You're going to be up all night." She warned him.

"I've got all night." He answered.

CJ chuckled. "Daddy sure is stubborn, isn't he Mama?"

"Yes, he is." Taylor agreed with a nod. Oh well; despite the romantic mood being over, that didn't mean she couldn't let Chad have his fun. Besides, it just meant he'd really have to make it up to her another night. So while he did that, there was no harm in doing something with CJ. "How about we go make some cookies?"

"Yay! I'll lick the bowl!" CJ raised his hand as they then headed into the kitchen.

As they did that, Chad just kept on trying to figure out the puzzle. And every time he seemed to get close, there was always at least one square out of place. It didn't take him too much longer to realize that he would actually need his four-year-old son's help to solve it. "CJ?" he called, "Do you wanna come back and help Daddy solve the cube?"

* * *

Sorry it took so long t get another chapter up. Prat of it was because I was busy and the other part was because of some type of writer's block. I knew what I wanted to write, it was just how to write it. I started like two weeks ago but I didn't like how it was turning out and it felt so boring so I kept putting it off and putting it off and decided to actually write the whole chapter tonight...and make it not suckish. But then again, after last chapter it's hard to make another one look good. But the whole thing with Taylor being offered a promotion was planned, as a little extra to add in. And of course there will still be more to the story after this, which i really need to get a move on and continue if it's gonna be finished by even the first week of school...and the first week for me is only 3 days cause it starts on the first. Anyway, I thought a brief family scene would be really cute and what better way to end it than with a little humor, right? So wait till you see where it goes from here...cause if I remember what I'm doing right it's gonna be all loopty-loop. If that's even how you spell it. Hopefully you know what I mean. And for those of you who are also starting school soon, enjoy the rest of summer as it lasts!


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

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There's always something people spend so much time searching for. Whether it's something as simple as a little toy or something as big as the hundred dollar bill you think you lost, there's just something. But like always, you find something when you're not looking and when you least expect to. Such as the day goes for Chad; for the past month or so now he's been searching high and low for a job. He's done everything from applying online to using the newspaper and even walked into stores just to ask if they were hiring. Unfortunately, they went to no avail. With all the searching and applications he's filled out, Chad has had anything but luck. However, he would end up finding it in the one place he'd least expect to.

One Tuesday afternoon, Chad and Troy agreed to meet each other for lunch at the local coffee shop. While Troy merely saw it as a lunch hour to spend time with a friend, Chad saw it as a break from all the searching and rejections. Sitting at a small round table across from each other, they exchanged conversation about their daily lives so far over cups of coffee and some sandwiches.

"So how's Taylor's new job going?" Troy asked as he took a bite of his lunch.

"Dude, she got promoted, not went from being a cashier to a waitress." Chad responded.

"Alright, alright." He replied. "But she's not working the registers anymore. When did she decide to take the offer?"

"We talked about it all week after the owner offered the promotion to her," Chad explained, "and Taylor ultimately decided to go for it. It did seem in our best interest."

"How's that?" Troy inquired, still eating.

"Half the calls she gets deal with the store's suppliers wanting to pick a fight. When Tay picks up that line, believe me, they picked the wrong woman to mess with." Chad answered. "She was also under the impression that few things could be less tasteful than working the register at the place. So for that, it made sense to try out the promotion and see if she liked it. After all, none of us had anything to lose. And with the dental plan we're practically covered, not to mention that the extra money she brings in is really helping us along until I find work."

"But doesn't it suck having her home and less and working extra hours?" he asked. Troy knew that if Gabriella had to work even one extra hour, he'd totally miss her. They would get home practically around the same time every day, and they both had the weekends off, so he couldn't imagine having her for one less day, let alone one whole hour. If it would be that hard on him, Troy could only imagine how Chad would feel if it were Taylor. They'd been separated for so long and now they didn't have as much time together as they wanted. Chad must have been disappointed he couldn't have more time with his woman. However, Chad responded with an answer Troy wasn't expecting at all.

"You kidding? We're practically joined at the hip." He chuckled. "I call her once in the morning and once in the afternoon. Even during her lunch hour she gives me a call and asks how I'm doing. On one or two occasions she's even come home for lunch and I had something ready for her. I mean, yeah it sucks we can't constantly be together like in high school where we could skip class to go and…." He stopped short when he saw the look he was getting from Troy. It was the look that said, 'I know you guys did something so just spill it already before I lose my lunch'. "Well…it's not important what we did." Chad quickly finished.

"Nice save man." Troy muttered sarcastically before sipping his coffee.

"My point is, we can't do as much together that we used to do, but we still find a way around it. And we might as well enjoy it while we can, cause it might be a little harder to talk during the day when I find a job. Especially since the first few weeks or month is usually so crazy." He said.

"Speaking of which, have you had any luck finding a job?" Troy wondered, easily changing the subject.

Chad sighed. "I've checked the Internet. I've checked the want ads. I've asked people if they know anything. Heck, I've even walked into any old store just to see if they were hiring. But practically every time said, 'forget about it'. And the times I did hear back were pure rejection."

Such an answer should come as no surprise. In a time like they were living in, it was hard to find steady work. The economy was slow and still recovering, not to mention that the unemployment rate was still fairly high. And with some jobs just plain getting cut, or replaced by computers, that did not make looking any easier. It was too bad that Troy knew for a fact that his place wasn't looking for new workers, or else he would surely hook his brother up.

"Don't worry man." He encouraged, lightly punching Chad's shoulder, "you'll find something."

Chad nodded and sipped his drink. "I hope you're right. Cause let's face it, I can't keep letting Taylor do all the work and bring in all the money."

"She's not doing all the work," he shook his head, "it's not like you've been sitting at home on your butt doing nothing after applying time and time again. Didn't you say you were doing cleaning and chores and whatnot?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "but it can't keep going on like that. And as much as I hate to admit it, there's only one place I can really go back to without applying or being rejected."

"What's that?" Troy quirked an eyebrow.

Chad sighed. He didn't want it to come to this. Heck, he refused it to. But he was starting to get a bit doubtful. What choice would he have? Maybe he could talk them into some kind of negotiation or something. But that particular boss of his…well wasn't too keen on compromising, to say the least. And after all it caused him to lose last time, why should he even go back? It was completely pointless. However, right now it was looking like his only option. To say the very least, Chad was considering it.

"The army."

Those two words hit Troy hard. After what that place's mistake caused all of them to go through…Chad, his family, his parents, his best friends…why would he even think it was an option to go back? They screwed up once, and they could screw up again. Troy didn't care if it was just the unit Chad was in that stunk. He didn't care if it was one man that was whack. He cared about having his best friend home and staying home. That's where he was safe, and that's where everyone was happy. There was no denying any of that.

"Why in the freaking hell would you even mention that place?" he gasped.

"Dude, believe me, I really don't want to. It's the last place I ever wanna go back to." Chad responded, looking Troy in the eye to show that he was serious.

"Then it's not an option for you to go back there." Troy shook his head. "You'll find some other work. Somewhere close to home and something you'll actually like. If you go back into the army, it's a death trap waiting to happen. It was a mistake once, but that's not gonna happen again."

"I get what you're saying, but-" Chad started, only to get interrupted by Troy.

"But nothing!" he insisted. "Remember the boy who cried wolf, Chad? You're not gonna be the boy and you're not gonna be the wolf. You're gonna be the victim. The first time we got the call – A CALL – that said you were dead, you come back almost five years later. Alright, that's one time and one time should be too many times. That should be a sign to never go back. But if you do go back and the same thing happens again…. We'd get another call that said you were shot, but instead you collapsed into the woods and were healed by a magical polar bear, then get comfortable enough to live there a few years only to realize who you left behind, and come home and we all rejoice again. But then you end up going back a third time…it could be something as little as getting hit on the head by a gun and dying. Actually dying, man. And we get another call or notice or something and they say you really did die this time, we're not gonna believe him. No one is gonna listen, and we're all gonna expect you to come home in a few years and you never do. Cause guess what? That third time you really DID die!"

Chad rubbed his chin, looking like he was actually considering all of what Troy was saying. After all, the guy did bring up some good points. However, Chad was stuck on one minor detail. He looked at his friend doubtfully and raised an eyebrow. "A magical polar bear?"

Troy hit his head. Leave it to Chad to get distracted by the part that made the least sense. "I exaggerated that for a reason."

"What's that?" Chad asked.

"Cause, even if it's just one guy there that's screwed in the head, if you keep going back there and reappearing after we're told something one day something really horrible is gonna happen to you. And none of us are gonna believe them." Troy explained honestly. "And trust me dude, I've seen Taylor get heartbroken from losing you the first time. Hearing it again would devastate her. And imagine what it'd do to CJ. You can't go through with going back there."

That was the part Chad caught loud and clear. Troy wasn't just giving him the facts straight out like they were. He was telling him the truth. He was trying to protect Chad. At that moment, even though Chad had so many others like it, he could have never asked for a better best bud.

"Thanks man." Chad said with a small smile.

Troy grinned and lightly pounded fists with Chad. "Anytime, bro."

"As soon as I get back home, it's back to the job hunt for me. No matter how long it takes, I'm finding something." Chad said.

"Now that's the Chad I know." Troy smiled. He ate the last of his sandwich and picked up his coffee. "Anyway, I'd better head back to work. Catch ya later, ok?"

"You know it." Chad nodded, hitting Troy a quick high five before he walked out. Chad looked at his watch and took the opportunity to finish his lunch. As he did so and got up to throw away his garbage, he was approached by one of the workers. He was a bit shorter than Chad and had sleek black hair. And with the way his hair was styled and the green apron he was wearing, the guy almost resembled the Simpsons' Apu.

"Did I just hear you right, sir? You are looking for a job?" he asked, speaking in a faint Indian accent.

Chad turned to him and nodded, wondering where this was going. "Yeah, that's right."

"Well you happen to be just in luck. I was going to put up a sign today asking for needed workers." He explained.

Chad raised an eyebrow, confused. "Come again?"

Going over to the counter and reaching behind it, the worker revealed a large piece of cardboard with the words clearly stated, "Help Wanted".

"Oh!" Chad nodded, understanding.

"My name is Apu. And I could not help but overhear you talking with your friend." He explained, putting the cardboard away.

And once again, distracted Chad took over. "Oh, you mean like Apu from the Simpsons!"

Apu couldn't help but sigh. "Unfortunately my family comes from a long line of television lovers. My uncle named all of his children after the characters of Star Trek. My brother moved to Africa and named all of his children – and dogs – the same names as from The Lion King. And my parents, who are Simpsons diehard fans, have named me and my five brothers and sisters after Simpsons characters."

"Wow, most TV shows fans I know of just collect toys." Chad chuckled.

"Yes, I thank you to stop laughing at my heritage." He responded.

"Sorry." Chad cleared his throat right away.

Apu folded his arms and nodded. "You should be lucky I did not decide to withdraw my offer."

"So, you're seriously offering me a job?" Chad asked.

"Well if you do not wanting to work I suppose I will just have to eavesdrop on some other poor peoples' conversations job hunting. Thank you, come again…" he said, starting to walk away.

"No, I do wanting to work!" Chad gasped. "I mean, I do want to work."

"Excellent!" Apu grinned, turning back to Chad. He picked up a sheet of paper and handed it to him. "This will being the application you need to fill out in order to be considered for a position here. You can being a cashier, a coffee maker, or a food baker. And on nights when it gets very busy we call in serving people. But those are mostly for holidays and parties. Are you understanding?"

Chad skimmed through the form as he listened to Apu. He then looked at the man and nodded. "Crystal clear."

Apu pointed to an empty table. "You can be sitting down as you fill the paper out. And if you stick around, one of the managers is supposed to be coming in later. I can show him your application and see if you can be interviewed by him."

"That'd be really great." Chad said. "Thanks for the opportunity."

"Happy to help." Apu grinned, sitting him down. "Thank you, and come again." With that, he walked back to the counter to return to work and left Chad to filling out the application. With any luck, even though Chad wasn't looking right that moment and yet something still came to him, maybe this was all he needed. He was going to get this job. What he didn't know was that as he filled the application out, he was being watched very closely.

-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-CT-

"Where is he?" Taylor asked a bit impatiently that night as she stared at the clock. She and CJ had already eaten dinner, and she was keeping Chad's warm for him and yet he hasn't come home. He didn't even call. Taylor didn't know if she should be angry at him or worried.

CJ looked up from his homework and at his mom. "Daddy is coming back isn't he?"

Taylor knelt down to his level. "Of course he is. I'm sure there's a logical reason why he hasn't called about running late."

"Promise?" he asked.

Taylor nodded. "I promise." Leave it to CJ to even in the littlest way remind her that there was nothing to worry about. She knew Chad. He always got distracted by something at some point. Any minute now he would walk in through the door and explain why he was late, and beg for their forgiveness. Then, as if right on cue, that's exactly what happened.

"Daddy!" CJ exclaimed, running over to him.

Closing the door after walking in, Chad picked CJ up in his arms. "Hey little buddy." He said to him. Chad then walked over to Taylor. "I am so sorry I'm late. I left my cell phone at home and I didn't get the chance to call…"

"Is everything alright?" Taylor asked him. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Chad nodded, taking his free arm and wrapping it around her. "Everything's great, actually."

Taylor walked into his embrace and wrapped her arms around him. "We're just glad you're ok."

"Actually, I am kinda hungry." Chad admitted.

"I'll warm up your dinner for you." She replied.

"Thanks Tay." Chad smiled, leaning down to kiss her. Taylor kissed him back and they continued to do so, forgetting for the moment that their son was watching.

"Ew, gross!" CJ said.

They instantly pulled away from each other. Taylor rubbed the back of her head and made her way into the kitchen. "I'll take care of that food, then."

Chad nodded and took CJ back to the couch. They sat down and CJ continued doing his homework. Once Taylor returned with the food, Chad didn't waste any time digging in. Taylor sat down on the other side of Chad and watched him eat. But still, she wondered what could have kept him so late. A bit tardy was one thing, but more than a few hours just was not like him.

"So what happened?" she wondered.

"I guess it started when I was at lunch with Troy. After he left, one of the workers at the coffee shop came over to me and said he overheard we were talking about jobs and told me they were hiring. So he gave me an application and I filled it out." Chad explained. "By the time I finished it, the manager came and the worker told him I was the first applicant, so he told me to wait while he looked over my application. I stayed and waited there for a while, it was probably about an hour and a half later. Then I had the interview, that was for a while. So then by the time that was done, I was showed around the counter with the oven and coffee maker and everything. Next thing I knew, I was in training."

Taylor nodded as she followed along. It was a little shocking to hear all that, and how it happened so fast. Chad had been job hunting for a while now, so it was amazing to know how close he was to getting a job. Now she wondered if what she was thinking was a reality. "Does that mean…?"

Chad smiled and stood up, opening his arms and nodded. "I got the job! Cashier, coffeemaker, and occasional baker person."

CJ looked up at him and tilted his head, half not understand what was going on and half still focusing on his homework. "Yay?"

Taylor smiled and jumped up, wrapping her arms around Chad as he spun her around. "Yay!" she exclaimed. "Chad, that's incredible!"

"I know!" Chad smiled. "We already have a schedule worked out and everything. I work five days, but I get Fridays and Saturdays off."

"I'm proud of you, Chad." She told him. "Everything is finally going at a steady pace."

But sometimes, things aren't supposed to go that steady. There are times when situations could be nothing but rocky. And unfortunately, that was something that they were around to find out – a lot sooner than they could have ever imagined.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to upload this chapter. The last couple of weeks were kinda crazy. I went to see one of my friends before she went back to school, I saw another friend a few times cause now I start school this week and she's working and then next week starting school, and not to mention that my mom and i were getting so much stuff for my dad's birthday this past weekend. We had to figure out what to get, then buy that stuff, and come up with more ideas, I ended up making a picture frame...yeah, long story. Unfortunately, I think that means I'm gonna need to push the deadline back for this story. There's still some that I wanna happen here and I don't know if I can make it all happen within this week. And I don't wanna squish everything into one chapter and rush everything along just to meet the deadline because then I won't be having any fun writing it, and you guys probably won't enjoy reading it as much. However, I already have everything worked out for Princess and the Frog from the characters to the chapters so that I can start it whenever ready. So, I start school on Wednesday, I'm out all day this Saturday...I'll see when else I can update this week.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

* * *

The steady pace continued for quite a while. A few weeks after receiving the news that Chad got the job at the coffee shop, he was just finishing training and everything was falling into place. Chad was quite enjoying his new line of work and being so close to home, not to mention actually being able to see his family on the job. Taylor's new job was going fantastically and she didn't seem to be complaining about it as much as before the promotion. And if it were even possible, CJ was doing much better in school; not only was he a straight A student but he was also becoming much more social and less afraid to speak up. Every weekend the family would get together with the Boltons and they would go out to dinner or watch a movie at each others' houses. It was finally at the point where it felt like nothing could tear this happy life apart.

Walking into the house some Tuesday nights later, Chad smiled as he saw Taylor doing some dusting. He snuck up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist before pecking her cheek. "Honey I'm home."

Taylor giggled, "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"What can I say, it's what I do." Chad responded with a chuckle "How was work?"

"Pretty slow, actually." She answered putting down the Pledge Wipes and turning to him. "And I went out with Gabriella on our lunch breaks today."

"Did you get anything special?" Chad wondered.

"Well, you'll just have to wait until tonight to find out." She replied with a wink.

"But I wanna know now. "Chad complained playfully.

"This is one of the reasons sometimes I think I'm raising two children." She joked.

Chad smiled and rested his forehead against hers before responding, "A child wouldn't know how to give you a good time."

"You make everything sound so tempting." She told him with a smile.

"Well after a long day of serving drinks, cleaning, and running all over a tiny kitchen I think a little fun is in order." He smiled kissing her.

She only returned the kiss briefly before looking at him seriously. Though the offer was more than tempting, Taylor had to decline. "Dinner should be ready shortly and CJ is upstairs doing his homework. One glimpse of our fun, and he could be scarred for life."

"Ok, now you're exaggerating." He chuckled, not taking her seriously.

"Maybe a little," Taylor admitted, "but I say we wait until our bedtime."

"I gotta wait that long?" he sighed.

"Only if you don't want to see the nice hot outfit Gabriella and I picked out…" Taylor started just as temptingly.

That was something that won Chad over. "I can wait until tonight." He said quickly.

Taylor laughed and pecked his lips. "I thought so."

"Well you do know me." He grinned.

"All too well." She smiled. "You mind checking on dinner? I've got one last table to dust."

"Alright, but I'll be watching you." Chad winked before making his way into the kitchen. He put on one of the oven mitts and checked the chicken that was cooking inside. Closing it and looking at the timer to see how much time was left, he then proceeded to set the table. As he did that, Taylor cleared the coffee table and began dusting it and CJ was making his way downstairs.

"I finish my homework." He said. "Movie tonight?"

Taylor turned to him. "You do have school tomorrow, you really shouldn't stay up late for a movie." She stated.

"But I be really good. Movie time." CJ insisted.

"We can start it right after dinner and pick a nice short one." Chad suggested from the kitchen. "Something good and kid friendly like Up or The Lion King or Toy Story. But not a violent or princess movie."

Taylor glanced at Chad, as she could see him through the kitchen doorway. She placed a hand on her hip and smiled knowingly. "Says the guy whose first movie was Beauty and the Beast – romantic and semi-violent."

CJ giggled. "Girlie movie!"

"Ok that does it, we're watching Superman instead!" Chad called.

CJ turned to Taylor. "Daddy make good logic."

"Yes he does." Taylor nodded in agreement. "Now go wash up and get ready for dinner."

"Kay." He nodded. "But I also liked Swan Princess." CJ said before heading to the bathroom.

Taylor raised an eyebrow. Her son enjoyed a princess movie based off a ballet that made next to no sense to her. She shook her head in disbelief. "I'm not going to ask." She muttered before finishing dusting. By the time that was done and she and CJ entered the kitchen, Chad was just putting the pieces of chicken onto their plates. No sooner did that happen when the phone rang.

"Really, just when we're about to eat?" Chad sighed.

"I'll go see who it is." Taylor said heading back into the living room. She looked at the caller ID on the phone; however it came up as an unknown name with a number she did not recognize. In most cases like this, she would just allow the answering machine to pick it up and she or Chad would see if anyone left any important messages after dinner. Yet her curiosity got the better of her and she answered it anyway, "Hello?"

A man's deep voice came from the receiver. "Is Mr. Danforth available?"

"He's just sitting down for dinner. I can take a message." Taylor responded. It couldn't have been more urgent than eating.

"I need to talk to him now." The man replied. "It's very important."

"He can call you back when he's done eating. Don't make me say it again." Taylor warned, not liking the tone of his voice. Obviously someone just wasn't getting the hint.

"Ma'am, you're making this more difficult. Please put Mr. Danforth on the line now." He insisted.

Curious as to what was taking Taylor so long, Chad told CJ to stay at the table and then went over to the phone. "Tay, what's going on?"

"Hold on one minute." Taylor said coldly into the line. She placed her hand over the phone and then turned to Chad. "Someone is trying to talk to you and the fact that I'm repeating we're sitting down to dinner over and over again just isn't getting through to him."

"Did you try telling them I'd call back?" he asked.

"Yes, but they wouldn't even give me a name or a number." She responded.

Chad sighed. Such a persistent people some random callers could be. "Alright they wanna talk to me so bad, let me handle it." He said, holding out his hand for the phone.

"Really, right now?" Taylor asked.

"If it's the only way to get them to hang up." Chad shrugged his shoulders.

Giving into his suggestion, Taylor reluctantly handed him the phone. And as Chad placed it to his ear and asked a 'hello' with a slightly irked tone, Taylor remained in front of him in attempt to find out what this was all about.

"Is this Mr. Danforth?" the man responded.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Yes, you finally got me on the line. Who may I say is calling? You're giving me and my wife a really hard time."

The voice then became much more assertive. "Don't talk that way to me, Soldier. You have a job to complete."

Chad shook his head. "What are you talking about? I'm not in that line of work anymore."

"You want me off the phone fast and get you back to dinner, I'll make it quick." He responded. "We need more soldiers. You're still around. You were a soldier. We need you to get back in business."

"I'm sorry, I can't help you. I already have a job." Chad replied. "And wouldn't you normally send a person about this or something?"

"I am a captain here, it is my decision to make who to send where and who to call who." He back-sassed. "Come back to base in 0500 hours."

"What part of no don't you understand?" Chad groaned. He knew exactly what this was. This was some attempt to get him back into the army. They found out he wasn't dead and just assumed that he'd be more than happy to come back to work and put his life at risk again. After all, he was drafted the first time; not to mention he still had a duty to protect his country. They couldn't just tell him to relax now that he was home or something. Nor could they tell him he was eligible to retire so quickly, unless there would be some medical condition involved. But Chad wasn't going to fall for it. He's done his job, as far as he was considered. Now he had a new job – and that was to take care of and be there for his family. That was something he refused to screw up. Unfortunately, the message still didn't seem to be getting through.

"No is not an option." The man responded.

Now Chad couldn't take it anymore. If they were going to do this, then they were going to do it his way. "Well guess what? I'm making it an option. Have a nice evening." He finished icily before slamming the phone down. He took a moment after hanging up to take a deep breath to calm down. It was over now; he said he wasn't going to go back and now that it was taken care of it wasn't going to happen. Nothing was going to stand in his way.

Taylor raised an eyebrow, wondering what had gotten Chad so riled up. Not hearing the other end of the conversation nor hearing enough from Chad's end to decipher everything, she just had to ask. "What was that all about?"

Chad turned his head towards Taylor. It wasn't that he'd forgotten she was standing right there; it was just that he didn't know what to tell her. On the one hand, Chad had absolutely no intentions of keeping any secrets from her so he should be able to tell her in full detail everything that he had just discussed – and the word is used lightly – with the man. But on the flip side, there really seemed no point in telling her when it all seemed to be said and done with, and there was no longer anything to worry about. To tell Taylor everything and then hear from her repetitively what he should or shouldn't do, at least in her opinion, just didn't make any sense when Chad already knew he wasn't going to do anything and made up his mind that things were going to stay just as the way they were. Ultimately, there seemed to be only one way to handle this. He could tell her without fully telling her. It seemed simple enough.

"There was just a minor situation to take care of. I stated my case and proved my point, so there's really nothing to talk about." He finally answered.

"Well what is it, exactly?" she inquired. "Did it have to do with work, or was it a pump call…?"

"It's nothing to worry about. Everything's all under control." Chad promised.

"Really? Because I heard you say 'no' over and over again." Taylor had observed.

"And they finally got the message." He said.

"I just don't know…" she shook her head doubtfully. Not that she didn't trust Chad; she did with everything that she had. But she just couldn't shake the feeling that there was something wrong. If there was anyone she didn't trust, it was the man on the other line. She wasn't being told something, and Taylor wanted to know what it was.

"Tay there's nothing to worry about." Chad said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "It's all taken care of."

As much as she wanted to believe him, all Taylor wanted was that extra assurance. If he could look her in the eyes and tell her calmly and truthfully then she knew that both of them were right and there was indeed nothing to worry about. Looking up to him and meeting her eyes with his, Taylor gave him a serious but inquisitive look. "Promise?"

Chad did whatever he could not to break eye contact. He knew for a fact that there was nothing to be concerned with and everything was alright now. He truly believed it was so, and he knew that Taylor believed it as soon as she heard it from him. Whether he told her the entirety of the conversation or not was irrelevant. All Chad could hope was that he was correct and that neither of them would be hearing from that horrible place again. One thing Chad was insistent on – no matter how many times they called, bugged them, or chased them down, he would never return to the life that was the army. It kept him away from his family, it caused him to miss the first years of his son's life, and it scared everyone he loved so dearly to death. He absolutely positively refused to put him or anyone else through that pain again.

And that was why Chad's gaze remained at Taylor and he nodded giving his most honest opinion. "I promise."

* * *

Not exactly a long chapter, I know. First of all, I want to apologize that it took so long to get up. While I'm slowly beginning to figure out my school schedule and that for this semester (minus the last two weeks of December where I won't be able to get on) and seeing that Fridays and Weekends would probably be the best time to update, I have actually tried almost all week to post this chapter. First, I got a little lazt and decided to postpone it. Then I started typing it and I didn't really like where it was going so I deleted it. Then last night I tried it again and I still didn't like it. I had only been able to get to the point where I successfully typed it up tonight because I spent the time thinking about a good scene and then knew how to put it on the paper. Although either way, the scene would have been the same idea with Chad coming home from work and then getting the phone call. And the fact that it wasn't really intended to be a long chapter. The idea of it was pretty much to give you a feeling of where this is going, and I know some of you were already suspecting it. And since that the rest of my weekend will probably end up going to homework, I will hopefully get a chance to start the next chapter next week. Not exactly sure at this point how many chapters are going to be left because it probably depends, but the story is turning out to be a couple of chapters longer than I had intended. And as soon as this is done I am still going to start Princess and the Frog - cause trust me, I already started thinking of what to type for the introduction in my head and hopefully it will not escape me. XD


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

* * *

When a person comes accustomed to a certain life style, they find it difficult to change. They don't wish to alter anything they do that could put their daily life at risk. It becomes something they live off of, the one sense of predictability in the life that is so unpredictable. The slightest modification in that routine can throw the person's life off course. Once it does become something completely different, they must adapt to the new lifestyle. It's funny how no one even thinks of it that way. Everyone just goes about their days with their own business not giving any second thoughts. What no one realizes is that the life can be changed in a second. One conversation; one word; one action; one second off; any one little thing can make all the difference. People risk with those things because they're curious; if a person says something intriguing they're going to want to know more. People risk with those things because they're late; if they realize what time it is and they're going to be tardy for work, therefore rushing into the car and speeding through the highways then they could get into a car crash and never return. People risk with those things because they don't realize what even one word can do; the one last word they say to someone could be the last time they ever speak with someone.

Chad's life is one that has always been predictable. He would play basketball every day. He would make jokes at school. He would never take anything seriously. He would go living his life without a care in the world. He knew what he wanted to do. He knew what he wanted his life to be. However, the unpredictability of his life arrived with rethinking his goals, what he really wanted to do with his life. Then came the drafting; no matter what path he had chosen, the draft would have found a way to him somehow and he would have never seen it coming. It threw his entire life off balance. He had to get used to living with less hair. To getting up at the crack of dawn. To doing every little thing on command. To follow every order of his superiors. Then with the capture, he had to become adjusted to that routine. Of when they would decide to feed him and the other soldiers. How long he could hold in a trip to the bathroom. How long he could risk going to sleep for so he could still wake up. And now he was right back where he started: at home with a job and his family. It was something Chad had always known. It was a much simpler thing for him. He would get up, get ready for work, do his job, return home, and everything in between. He liked knowing that he would always have his family to come home to. Chad enjoyed going to a job that wouldn't kill him, and had hated it when he'd have to go out and think of not coming back. But even the slightest turn of events could cause him to go back to just that.

A few days later, Chad had finished consuming breakfast and was gathering everything together for work. "Wallet…keys…phone…pants…. Yeah, I think I got everything." He said to himself.

"You really think you would leave without your pants?" Taylor couldn't help but inquire as she finished getting dressed for work herself.

"Hey if I can have a nightmare about going back to school in nothing but my underwear, I can walk out of the house without my pants." Chad stated.

"After all these years, I still don't understand how your mind works." She sighed.

"And that's why you love me." Chad chuckled.

"Conceited much?" Taylor laughed.

"Yeah…only around you." Chad chuckled going over to her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Taylor smiled and looked at him from the corner of her eye as she buttoned her shirt. "You are so trying to butter me up."

"Yeah, and what are you gonna do about it?" Chad teased playfully.

"Well if we weren't getting ready for work I could think of a couple of things." She smirked.

"Go on, we got plenty of time." Chad replied leaning in to kiss her.

"I'm ready for school now!" CJ called from downstairs.

Taylor arched her head back, causing Chad to miss her lips, as she had known the time bomb that was their son would go off any second. That had been the second. "Wait by the couch. I'll be down in five minutes." She called back.

"So much for that." Chad sighed as Taylor went about brushing her hair.

"Consider that on hold." Taylor suggested. "We can easily continue it tonight."

"Well I do like the sound of that." Chad grinned. "How about CJ eating dinner at Troy and Gabriella's while we do our thing?"

"I'm already having Gabriella pick CJ up from school, actually." Taylor told him. "I've got a doctor's appointment after work."

Chad cringed at the word. Doctor's appointments meant doctors. And doctors meant needles. Despite his tough exterior, even Chad grew stiff all over at the mere mention of the word. The smallest thing that lasted for a few seconds and only stung for a short time afterwards, the thing that wasn't even that big of a deal, and the thing that only little kids would be rewarded with a lollipop was one of the few things that brought Chad to his knees in pure meaningless fear – a needle. "D-d-d-doctor?" he stammered.

Taylor couldn't help but laugh at his response. Even though she had her irrational fears as well, she just never seemed to understand why out of all the things Chad could be scared of, his biggest fear was a doctor poking his arm with a needle. However, she decided to put him out of his misery and get the message through. "The appointment's for me, not you."

"For you?" he repeated a bit unsure.

"It's called a checkup." She replied. "You know, for checking heartbeat, blood pressure, reflexes…."

"And for all those late night trips to the bathroom?" he added.

Taylor sighed, "The office was boiling yesterday. I drank a lot of water. That's generally how it works."

"So just to be clear…I don't have to go to the doctor?" Chad made sure.

"No you don't." Taylor answered. Then she giggled, "But I will have to make an appointment for you while I'm there."

That sent Chad fleeing. "You'll never take me alive!" he gasped, making a mad dash out of the bedroom.

Taylor laughed and rolled her eyes. "Love you, too!" she called.

Chad groaned loudly. "Alright, I'll try that again." He gave in. Heading back upstairs, he walked in the room and pecked her cheek. "I love you Tay…but you'll still never take me alive!" With that, he once again rushed out of the room and headed off to work.

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"Boy, the day sure is going by awfully slow." Apu noticed later that morning.

Chad wiped off the counter and glanced to his co-worker. Both had only been working for a couple of hours and the coffee shop was next to a deserted island. Few people sat at tables drinking or getting ready for work. Everything behind the counter was fully set up for the morning rush, and yet there had been no rush. Chad questioned why he was even cleaning the counter; all that there was to be wiped off were a few donut crumbs.

"We practically just started working." Chad told him.

"Yes well, you can being here for as long as you want, but I can't take the boredom." Apu sighed.

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "There's a TV, isn't there? You can turn that on."

"And watching reruns of shows like Maury, Dr. Oz, and Divorce Court?" he gasped.

"Hey, they gotta put something on the morning block." Chad said. "First you can start the morning off finding out which husbands are cheaters and which ones really are the fathers. After that you can choose from either health shows or the wonderful world of abuse. And you can finish the afternoon off with court shows run by all the big named judges from Mathis to Judy."

Apu sighed. "And who are you being now, some old school talk show host?"

"Actually right now I'm a guy who's really gotta hit the can." Chad answered.

"Very well, but don't being taking too long. We could get customers any second at."

"Got it, got it." Chad nodded before leaving the counter and heading towards the back where the restrooms were located.

Shortly after he had done that, the door opened to reveal a guy walking in. However, it wasn't the customer that Chad or Apu desired it to be. He was about as muscular as Chad, either indicating that he too had been in the army or that he had done numerous sport activities. However, to an extent he also appeared skinnier and his hair was shaggy, leaving combined tones of red and brown glistening under the coffee shop lights. His skin was lighter and his eyes glanced around the shop as though he were looking for someone. Spotting Apu at the counter, who was now giving in and flipping through the channels on the relatively small television across from him, the guy walked over. Leaning on the counter slightly, he cleared his throat to get the salesman's attention. Hearing a potential customer, Apu's eyes lit up and he immediately straightened his posture and turned to him.

"Welcome to the Kwik-E-Mart, help you I may?" he asked.

The guy raised an eyebrow. "Um…this isn't the Kwik-E-Mart…. Wait, are we in the Simpsons?"

Apu sighed. "Sadly, no. We are being in the real world."

"Aw that's too bad, I always wanted to be a cartoon character." He replied. "But maybe you can help me. I'm sorta looking for someone."

"Yes, yes, I know. Aren't we all?" Apu nodded.

"Is there a guy named Chad Danforth here?" he asked. "I heard he works here."

"Oh yes, indeed he does." Apu responded. "In the bathroom is where he is."

"Cool, cool." He nodded, pointing to one of the many empty tables. "I'll just wait over there for him."

Apu nodded in response as the guy went to take a seat. Turning his head and seeing Chad return, Apu blocked him from getting behind the counter. "Something tells me you off the clock for a while."

Chad raised an eyebrow from confusion. "How come?"

Apu pointed to the guy who entered. "The man over there said he was looking for you."

Chad followed Apu's gaze to the man. Chad could only see the back of the guy's head, but something about it seemed familiar. Chad just couldn't put his finger on it. "Did he say what he wanted to talk about?"

"Not at all." He shook his head. "But if it keeping being as slow as this, you should have all the time you need to talking about whatever."

"You sure?" Chad asked. While he was curious about what the guy wanted, he was also aware of the job he had to do. "What about work?"

Apu rolled his eyes. "Work? What work? We are having no work here right now to do."

Chad nodded, "Good point." He made his way over to the guy, still trying to figure out the familiarity of his hair style. Normally, Chad was never one to notice things like that. But he couldn't help but feel like he's seen it before. He was getting the odd sensation that whatever this guy needed to talk to him about was important, that Chad would need to hear it. He'd go so far as to say that he was curious. Clearing his throat, Chad opened his mouth to speak. "You said you were looking for me?"

The guy turned around to face Chad. He smiled and stood up to meet his eye level. "Hey Chad. Remember me?"

As soon as Chad saw his face, it clicked. He knew now why there was such a familiarity to him. "Jason? Dude is that you?"

"In the flesh." He laughed. As Chad suspected it was none other than Jason Cross. They had been on the same basketball team in high school, and Jason was also one of the many men that got drafted around the time Chad did. They were placed in the same unit at base for their army days, though Jason had been part of the lucky large group to avoid capture and actually go home when he desired. Chad hadn't seen Jason in a good three years, maybe more.

"Dude, you look great." Chad said. "Did you always have red hair?"

Jason laughed. "Nah man, I dyed it when I got back. Thought some change would be good."

"It suits you, man." Chad grinned. "What brings you here?"

Jason shrugged his shoulders. "Oh you know, catch up and everything. You got a chance to talk?"

"Yeah, I got a little bit of time." Chad nodded, hitting a high five with him before they sat down across from each other. "When did you get back?"

"I've been back a while." Jason answered. "All I do for the army now is recruit people. You know, the ones who actually want to fight."

"How's that going for you?" he wondered.

"Nothing but paper cuts from exchanging papers and writing stuff down." Jason sighed.

Chad laughed. He always knew Jason could be clumsy sometimes. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed either, but Jason was a great and loyal friend. If he didn't have to, he wouldn't even hurt a fly. "Ok, you haven't changed a bit."

"You look like you have." Jason responded. "Working here instead of with basketballs? No more army life?"

"You kidding, no way." Chad replied. "I'm done with the army, man. And I can play basketball any time I want with my son. But I needed work, and this was the first place I could get. Good hours, close to home, free drinks, cheap food…heck, it's practically all the donuts I can eat."

"Don't get me hungry for donuts; I had so much for breakfast." Jason sighed, holding his stomach. "So many jelly donuts…."

Chad laughed. "Jelly? Alright, I'm more of a chocolate donut kinda guy, but whatever works for you."

"So, you have a son huh?" Jason inquired.

"Yup, CJ." Chad nodded. "He's in kindergarten now. Actually, he should be turning five soon. He does basketball, school…He's really great at schoolwork, actually. Straight A's just like Taylor."

As Chad continued to talk about his family, just finding a way to go from one thing to another, Jason couldn't help but lose a bit of focus. He couldn't forget what he was supposed to do; he was asked to find Chad to take care of something very important. As much as he didn't want to do this, there really wasn't a choice. It was part of his job and they needed people. Even as much as he hated to admit it, not getting Chad could even mean sending Jason instead. And Jason refused to go anywhere again; he'd take paper cuts over weapons any day. Although he was never one to turn a back on a friend, Jason was at a crossroad between friendship and duty. Choosing duty over Chad meant throwing away a friend he's had for years, and the only friend he really had during the army. Jason heard the rumors about Chad being alive; he knew that knowing that now, after what Chad had gone through, asking him to do what he was supposed to was nowhere near fair. But what choice did he have? Jason promised he would at least try. If Chad said no then it was final. However, he remembered what his boss said clearly: do whatever it takes. Jason didn't want it to go that far. But Chad could handle himself better than Jason could. The memories of what they had seen still shook Jason; times had arisen when he still woke up sweating. He didn't mind staying at a base and doing simple paperwork, but he refused to go back. Chad seemed far less fazed, but he also seemed much happier now. To exchange one of his friend's happiness for his own…. Jason knew it was wrong. Now it was just a matter if he would really go through with it or not.

"Chad…" he reluctantly interrupted his friend, "I'm not just here to catch up. I got business to talk about too."

Chad stared at him in disbelief. That was not the Jason he knew. The Jason he knew would laugh and smile with him, not talk about business and be so down. "You're joking, right?"

He shook his head. "Afraid not. See…well it's like this…." He paused for a minute as to formulate the right words. "…The Captain sent me to talk to you."

The Captain. Two words that Chad learned to hate so quickly. Two nights ago, it was the Captain who called and disrupted his evening. That was the one who tried to get him to come back to army life. And now he was going so far as to get one of Chad's closest friends to get him into the mix. As mad as Chad was for Jason tricking him like this, he knew it wasn't entirely Jason's fault. The guy was just doing his job, after all. It was the Captain that made Chad feel so much hatred. This was all his doing.

"I already spoke to him over the phone. I'm not interested in going back to the army." Chad stated simply.

"It's not just about the army." Jason said.

"The army is all about fighting. I've seen enough of it and I've been through enough." Chad responded. "The fighting that we're stuck with in some other country is what kept me away from my friends and family. I missed so much stuff because of it. And then the Captain of all people had the balls to call Taylor and tell her I was dead. Not MIA. Dead."

"I know. I was there when he called. And it was a mistake." Jason said. "It was something that should have never been said. Anyone else at base would have known better, almost anyone. But you know how the Captain is. He's all military, that's what he grew up with. It's hard to discard roots like that. He's done the army and military deal all his life, Chad. Someone missing in action might as well be dead, because we never know who we'll find or how we'll find them and when."

"Don't go defending that guy." Chad argued. "When did you become Mr. Smart Nose anyway?"

"People change, man. Things change people. Places change people." Jason gasped. "I've seen nothing but crap the entire time at base since you were gone. After that plane blew up, everything got messy. I don't know how it happened. That was the old clueless me, the one who never understood anything. I tried to man up, ok? But the things I saw can't be unseen!"

"So you use that as an excuse to lure a friend back in." Chad folded his arms.

Jason sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to go down like this."

"Then how did you mean for it to go down?" Chad questioned. That was something that should have never been asked. If Chad really didn't want that life back, he would have gone behind the counter and resumed his current work. He would have told Jason to leave. He would have just left it as it was and dealt with the consequences. But he didn't. Chad opened up his big mouth and let things continue on. Now Jason, or anyone else that Chad could have possibly talked to, had the perfect opportunity to convince him otherwise.

Jason took a deep breath and met Chad's gaze. Although Jason was never serious, he was always a serious man when it came to his friends. And over the years, he had also learned to be serious about honesty. That honesty started when he had told Troy in high school what a great singer he was. That same honesty Jason showed then, he had to show Chad, but now with more confidence. "We weren't just drafted to fight, Chad. We were called in to help people. And that's what we need now." Jason explained. "There's bombings. There's fires. There's earthquakes. There's people trapped in between the battling. Those are the people we have to help. We don't just get involved with wars to fight other countries and make big commodities or whatever. We get involved to save people's lives. We can get them out of the war zones and to a safe place where they can live their lives. The captains and generals and everyone else always say we fight for our country. But they also tell us that we fight to protect people. Not just our people, anyone who needs help. How can you just sit here at a cozy job in a safe corner of the world and not go saving people?"

As much as Chad hated to admit it, Jason was right. He had hated the fighting aspect of the army so much; he'd forgotten what the latter job was. Chad almost never turned his back on someone who needed help, unless for some reason they didn't deserve it. In all honesty, Chad really didn't know how he could just work or be at home so safely and not think about all the lives that were in danger. If it was him and his family in trouble, Chad would pray every day for someone to come and help them before it would be too late. One person could be the difference between life and death for a ton of families. However, Chad was also taking another thing into account.

Looking at Jason in the eye, Chad held his composure as he replied, "I could ask you the same thing."

For that, Jason had no answer. He was the one trying to convince Chad to come back so he wouldn't have to. Jason tilted his head down in shame.

But Chad wasn't going to take nothing for an answer. He needed to know how Jason saw this. "What happened to you? I mean sure, you were naïve and kinda clueless…. But you used to be a guy who'd do anything to help out his buds and now you're the guy trying to get me back to a life I hate?"

Jason reluctantly turned to his friend. "I watched other soldiers die, Chad. They died from gunshots. They died from wounds. From blood loss. They died without seeing their families again. They didn't die happy. The naïve me saw that and saw the crappy side of the world. One more sight like that could mean insanity for me. I used to be so clueless and helpless, just miraculously making my way into college. I was oblivious to what everything was really like. Even Gabriella knew more about the dark side than I did, and she was the one that got her fairy tale ending. The stupid and naïve me died along with the soldiers. Now…. Now I just do what I gotta do."

Chad shook his head. He understood what Jason meant. Even Chad hadn't thought the world could be so cold as to kill innocent people trying to protect their country or the people they love. But that didn't mean it changed him. Nor did it stop him from living his life. All he did was consider that part of his life over. He wanted to go back as much as Jason did. If Jason had come and told him that straight out first, and why he wouldn't be the one to go back, then maybe Chad wouldn't have lost so much respect for his friend. But this certainly wasn't the same guy he grew up with. Jason was basically saying that he was willing to trade in a friend's life for his. But Chad wasn't like that. It was just a matter of whether or not it was worth it. Would he give up his happiness and his family for a second time just to help out a friend who practically backstabbed him?

Unfortunately, Jason wouldn't give him much time to think. "Chad…?"

* * *

Dun dun dun? Well on the bright side, I did say I'd have the next chapter up within a week, and I did. I was debating about whether or not to merge this with the next chapter or make them separate, but I decided to go with them being separate. Cause then if they weren't it'd be a lot for one chapter and well, maybe you guys really have nothing to worry about. But now you know what the deal was with the bad feeling and with something gonna happen... I was gonna put in a madeup character but for some reason my mind kept telling me to throw in Jason. It felt weird not writing him as the Jason from the movies, though. Definitely not as much fun. But heck you guys didn't see that coming either did you? So yes once again, a lot of questions, a lot to diguest, a lot of joking within the chapter. But let's see what you guys say about this. Same goes for the next chapter, I will try to get it up by next weekend. Until then I'll leave you guys in suspense as to what is going to happen next, and hopefully to laugh about how Chad gets scared so easily. Good times, scaring Chad, good times...


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: If I owned HSM I'd be rich...but I'm not. So I don't own HSM.

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Funny thing about life: you never know what's going to happen next. Even when you suspect something is going to happen, it always takes you by surprise. But it's said that things always happen for a reason. Whether they're good or bad, there's a reason behind every little thing. It's as simple as that. And it was something Taylor was about to find out.

Later that afternoon, Taylor walked into the doctor's office. She was greeted by a middle-aged man with shaggy brown hair and thick black glasses. Yet he had the warm smile on his face that any doctor thinking about someone's life had. "Afternoon, Taylor." Dr. Cassin greeted closing the door behind them. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Taylor answered with a smile as she placed down her pocketbook. "Sorry I'm a few minutes late, I had to run to the bathroom on my way in."

"Everything alright?" he wondered as he directed her to the scale and went with checking her weight and height.

"Yeah, I guess something I ate today just didn't agree with me." She nodded. "Yesterday my office was so warm I drank so much water. Chad said I was hogging the bathroom all night."

"Ah yes, the jumpy one." He recalled all the times Chad had tried to escape the office before a checkup could even begin. "Heard he's finally home."

"Yeah. It's been so much better with Chad around." Taylor nodded. "He's amazing with CJ. It's only been a few months but they act like best friends since the day CJ was born."

"Like father, like son huh?" he replied.

"You have no idea." Taylor responded, moving off the scale and sitting down. She watched as the doctor took a moment to write everything down. "That reminds me, I have to make an appointment for Chad to see you."

"Well it'll have to wait at least a month, I'm totally booked." Dr. Cassin responded. "I'm sure the receptionist has plenty of available dates."

"I'll take care of it." She nodded.

He finished writing everything down before looking back up at Taylor. "So you said you've been using the bathroom a lot?"

"Just for one night. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." She shook her head.

"Has anything else been going on?" Dr. Cassin asked.

"No…" she responded slowly, not quite sure what he was getting at.

"Very well then." He nodded. He took out his stethoscope and proceeded to listen to her heartbeat. However, as soon as he reached her breasts, Taylor flinched. Dr. Cassin looked at her confused. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, just a little sensitive over there." Taylor answered.

"Let's try it again." Dr. Cassin suggested. He placed the stethoscope back to her chest, listening to her heart. But yet again as soon as he came close to her breasts, Taylor jerked away.

"Ok, please stop doing that." She told him instantly.

"Mood swings?" he inquired.

Taylor took a deep breath and rubbed her head, wondering what could have come over her even for a brief moment. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize. There are plenty of reasons for mood swings." Dr. Cassin said calmly. "Are you in the middle of your menstrual cycle?"

Taylor's head shot to him wide-eyed. It was like he struck a nerve in her. Taylor tried to replay everything in her mind. She wasn't even close to her time of the month. What bothered Taylor even more was that she couldn't remember the last time she had it. Something couldn't have been right. But she couldn't tell that to the doctor. He might get the wrong idea, or jump to some kind of conclusion. Biting her tongue, she reluctantly let out the most truthful response she could conjure up. "Not exactly."

Dr. Cassin stood up and walked over to his desk. Opening up one of the drawers, he removed a package. Opening it up he pulled out, from what looked like one from Taylor's end, a white strip. Taylor cocked an eyebrow from curiosity and watched as he walked back over to her. She then looked down as he handed it to her. Taylor was shocked to recognize it as a pregnancy test. She looked at it, then up at him.

"I'm afraid you've got it wrong, Dr. Cassin. I'm not pregnant." She said simply.

"You said you were running to the bathroom a lot. Throwing up and constant urination can both be signs of pregnancy. So can mood swings and tender breasts." He explained.

"With all due respect, that doesn't mean I'm pregnant." She said.

"Which is why I gave you that test." He finished for her. "If anything will answer that question, the test will. You can use the bathroom in the back and we'll finish the check-up when you return."

Taylor had no choice but to nod. She reluctantly got up and made her way to the bathroom. She not only closed the door behind her but locked it as well. She didn't want anyone to find her in there. Placing the pregnancy test on the sink, she didn't do anything at first. All Taylor did was simply pace around the bathroom. She just tried to think back. On the off chance that she was pregnant, when could it have happened? Taylor shook her head, completely disregarding the thought. Who was she kidding, it could have been any time she and Chad have been intimate. And Taylor had lost count well after five. Late at night…when CJ was out of the house…when they were home on lunch break…. There were just plain too many times to count. And if she could barely remember the amount of times they'd done it, heck if she could recall the use of protection or not.

Finally giving in, Taylor took the pregnancy test and then just set it back on the sink. She sat down on the toilet, just trying to think. What was going to happen if there really was a baby in the future? Chad had only been back around three months, almost four. Surely an addition to the family wasn't in their plans this soon. Some more selfish time would have been much better. It was work enough both of them looking after CJ. She could only imagine what would happen if there was a baby. It would mean even less time for them. It would mean buying a ton of baby supplies. It would mean telling friends and family, seeing how CJ would take it, coming up with names…. There was just no way they could be ready for a baby so soon.

But on the other hand, maybe this could be just the thing they needed. A baby usually meant that people were ready to move on with their lives, that it would be a new start for them. Chad had been home for almost four months and was working well with his new job; not to mention he already turned down the chance to go back to the army when the captain called. The life they lived being separated and a broken family was over. This could be the new start for them. Maybe that's what Taylor was trying to be told. After all, she was always such a stubborn person, refusing to listen to anyone so easily. She wanted to solve everything on her own. But being with Chad for so long allowed her to realize that she did need to listen to other people. Even though it was a habit she never got rid of, Taylor had loosened up quite a bit. All she had to do was think about how Chad would react. She highly doubted that Chad would be angry. Nervous maybe, but not angry. He'd be overjoyed. They were happily married, already with a little boy. Why wouldn't they want a second child? A small smile started to grow on her face and she started to think about the future. This wasn't a bad thing at all – it was a blessing.

Lost in her thoughts, Taylor had almost forgotten what time it was. It had been well over five minutes she took the pregnancy test. Standing back up, she picked the test up from the sink and smiled reading the response. She left the bathroom and went back into Dr. Cassin's office with the same smile on her face.

"You were in there a while." He noted.

"I just had some thinking to do." She admitted.

"Everything all cleared up?" the doctor wondered.

Taylor grinned and nodded. "Crystal."

"Very good." He smiled warmly. "So what's the verdict?"

"It's positive." Taylor smiled, showing him the test.

Dr. Cassin smiled and nodded. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Not as bad as I thought it'd be." She shook her head.

"Congratulations, Taylor." He told her. "And please give my best to Chad as well. Now how about we finish the check-up so you can tell him the good news?"

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It was barely even a half hour later that Taylor made her way out of the office and back to her car. Taylor was now overcome with such excitement that she couldn't wait to get home and tell Chad. Glancing at her watch, she could see that there would clearly be rush hour traffic on the way home. She decided to give Chad a call and let her know that she would be on her way home. Sitting in the driver's seat, she turned her cell phone back on having left it off for the duration of her appointment. Chad should be home with CJ by now, though Taylor opted to call him on the cell phone just in case. She hit his number on speed dial and waited for an answer. But after every ring, there was no answer. On the fourth ring she heard his voicemail.

"Yo, you got Chad. Leave a message and I'll ring you back. Later."

Taylor sighed, wondering why Chad didn't answer. It could have been possible that he was in the bathroom or something. If that was the case, dialing the home phone might as well be useless. She decided to leave him a message, assuming that he would get it well before she got home. "Hey honey it's me. I just got out of the doctor's office and I have some great news. I'll tell you and CJ when I get home. I'll see you in about forty minutes. Love you, bye." She then hung up her phone and proceeded to leave the parking lot, though not before her phone began beeping, signaling a missed call. Picking her phone back up, Taylor saw that she had a voicemail from Gabriella and played it.

"Hey Tay. I wanted to see if you talked to Chad before your appointment, but I guess not. I picked up CJ from school, but Chad never came to get him. I called him a couple of times and left a message but he never called back; I thought you might know what was going on. Anyway, can you come pick CJ up when you're finished? Don't worry, he's playing hide and seek with Charity right now. Call me back when you get the chance, or just come on over. Talk to you later."

With that, the message ended. Taylor merely looked at her phone in confusion. It was so unlike Chad to just forget his responsibilities like that. Granted, he used to avoid them when he was younger, but it wasn't like him now to just ignore them. Nor was it normal for Chad to do anything without calling first. Surely if he had to stay late at work or run an errand he would have called her or Gabriella or someone. Deciding to see if calling a different number would make a change, Taylor dialed the house phone. It could have also been that Chad's cell phone ran out of power or something. Still, he should have been home with CJ well over an hour ago. What could have been keeping him? Alas, Taylor would not get an answer; even calling home all she got was the answering machine. She looked through her phone, her texts, her missed calls…anything to see if she missed something from Chad. But there was nothing. Something just was not adding up; and Taylor was getting the feeling that it wasn't good news.

"Chad…. What is going on with you?"

* * *

Ok so not exactly a long chapter, and updated a couple of days later than I intended. Sorry about that, I've been trying to get over a cold...and sort of failing. Anyway, a couple of days after putting up the last chapter I realized something. Since Chad has returned into the story, it has been Chad-centric. I'm not saying the story was entirely meant to be Taylor-centric, but it hasn't exactly been balanced either. This chapter I was debating whether or not to add, cause I didn't want to give anything away so easily. But in the end I decided to go ahead and write it, of course after a while of thinking how it should go. I did start writing it on a break at school, but it was kinda boring, so I really took the time to figure out how the chapter should go. What I focused on was Taylor's emotions and thought process through this. So I'm hoping I did a good job with that. Now it just means that you have to wait an extra week to find out what Chad's decision from the previous chapter was...Not too bad right? But I gotta say, despite the fact that mentioning Taylor was going for a simple nothing-to-worry-about doctor's appointment, I wasn't trying to imply that she would be pregnant. And yet only ONE person who reviewed figuerd it out. :O But believe it or not, it was gonna happen eventually. I was secretly planning this the entire story. So what's gonna happen now...? Well, I'll leave that to your imaginations followed by a week of suspense. So by all means, review, compliment, criticize, I can take it all! Good night, and happy end of the weekend!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

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Over the course of her ride from the doctor's office to Gabriella's, Taylor had tried to contact Chad via both his cell phone and the home phone about three times. Every time there had been no answer. Taylor had been hoping that there really wasn't anything wrong. It was totally out of character for Chad to get a call from the same people nearly five times and not respond. Finally parking in front of the Bolton's house and seeing no messages from Chad, Taylor got out of the car and made her way to the porch. She knocked on the door and called, "Troy, Gabriella!"

"It's open!" Troy called from inside.

Taylor opened the door and walked in. With the living room empty and the voices coming from the kitchen, Taylor went over to the doorway. "Hey guys." She greeted, seeing Troy, Gabriella, Charity, and CJ eating at the table.

"Hi mama." CJ smiled jumping out of his seat. "I go get my stuff.

Taylor nodded as he left the kitchen. She turned to Gabriella, who got up and walked over to her. "Thank you for picking him up from school."

"You know you never have to ask." Gabriella shook her head. "Have you heard from Chad yet?"

"No," Taylor sighed, "I called him three times and he never answered."

"I'm sure everything's fine." She said supportively.

"Just tell him if he screws anything up, I'll kick his butt." Troy interrupted, swallowing is food.

Gabriella giggled. "You know he doesn't mean that."

"I know." Taylor nodded. "I don't suppose you've heard anything from Chad, have you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Maybe he's at home." Troy suggested as he wiped off Charity's mouth.

"That still doesn't explain why he hasn't called back." Taylor pointed out.

"Let us know if you hear anything. You know we'd do anything for you." Gabriella said.

"Including kicking my best friend's butt." Troy laughed.

"Point taken." Taylor giggled. "Thanks guys."

"No problem." Gabriella said. "And I hope you don't mind we fed him."

"Of course not." She replied. "You take such good care of him."

"I ready to go now." CJ said returning with his backpack.

"We'll let you guys go then. Call me later?" Gabriella said.

"Of course." Taylor smiled. The friends shared a brief hug, and then Taylor and CJ headed back out to the car. As they began driving down the street, Taylor glanced to CJ with her rearview mirror. "So how was school today, sweetie?"

"It was good." He smiled. "I drawed a picture!"

"You'll have to show it to me and dad when we get home." Taylor told him with a smile.

"Kay." CJ nodded. "It came out really good!"

"I can't wait to see it." She smiled.

As they shortly came upon their house, Taylor quirked an eyebrow noticing something. Chad's car was in their driveway. Something wasn't adding up here. Chad hadn't answered his phone or their landline. Why would he totally ignore calls all afternoon if he was home? Granted, Chad could have gotten home early and fallen asleep after a tough day at work therefore not hearing either phone ring, but that still didn't explain why he hasn't called back. Sooner or later he would have gotten the messages or seen how many calls he missed. So why hasn't he? Something was highly suspect. Pulling into the driveway, Taylor helped CJ out of the car and they made their way inside. Taylor expected to walk into an empty house at this rate, but much to her surprise it wasn't empty. As soon as she walked in and closed the door, there was Chad on the couch. He wasn't even sleeping or watching TV or anything. He was just sitting on the couch quietly like a statue. That was a first Taylor had seen of Chad. She cleared her throat to try and get his attention.

"We're home."

Chad didn't respond. He didn't even turn their heads to them. No, he wasn't sleeping; his eyes were wide opened. So why ignore them?

"Hi Daddy!" CJ grinned running up to him. "I drawed a picture in school today. Wanna see? I think it came out really, really good!" He began eagerly digging through his backpack, oblivious to the fact that even then Chad didn't budge.

Deciding to investigate this herself, Taylor went over to CJ. "Why don't you go upstairs and draw another picture? You can show us what a great artist you are." She told him.

"Ok." CJ nodded, and then headed up to his room.

Once CJ was out of sight and out of earshot, Taylor turned to Chad. "Chad?" she asked, though there was still no response. "Alright what's with the cold shoulder? Talk to me." She raised an eyebrow when he still failed to give a response. Taylor waved her hand in front of his face, but even then Chad didn't speak or move. It was almost like he was in a trance. Or maybe a daze. Taylor opened her mouth to speak again, but not before getting the cry from her stomach. "Really, now?" she muttered to herself before rushing to the bathroom. Normally something like that would have instantly gotten Chad's attention and he would ask what was wrong or if she was feeling alright. But no answer from him still. Returning downstairs shortly after and chewing on a few tic tacs to freshen her breath, Taylor sat down on the coffee table in front of Chad. Yup, he was definitely in some sort of daze. "Chad." She said again, snapping her fingers in front of him. Eventually, Chad got the message and shook his head, seemingly returning to reality. He looked up to see Taylor right in front of him.

"Tay, when did you get home?" he asked.

"About ten minutes ago." She responded. "With CJ."

"What do you mean, with CJ?" he asked, confused.

"I got a call from Gabriella when I left the doctor's office. She said you never picked CJ up after school." Taylor explained.

Chad hit his head. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot."

A response like that had Taylor appalled. How could Chad use such a lame excuse? "You forgot your own son?" she gasped.

"Sure, when you say it like that it sounds bad." Chad muttered. "But if you knew about the day I've had…"

"Well it can't be anything like the great news I got." Taylor started. She was hoping that maybe telling him about the newest addition to their family would bring Chad back to reality for good, but before she could continue he opened his mouth.

"Jason came to see me at work today." He interrupted.

Taylor blinked and took a moment to process the statement. "Jason Cross?"

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Tall, shaggy hair, kind of clueless?"

"Yeah."

"From the army?"

"Yeah."

"He came to see you?"

"Glad we have that established."

Taylor shook her head, realizing that the interrogation was pointless. "So he just walked in to say hi or something…?" she assumed, even though it had to be more than that.

"Not exactly." Chad shook his head.

"Well what did you two talk about?" she wondered. "Did he say how he was doing, or when he got home? We should try to talk to him again and see if maybe we can get together or something."

"It wasn't a happy reunion like that." Chad said.

"What do you mean by that?" she quirked an eyebrow.

"Jason didn't come to see me to catch up or anything like that," he explained, "he came to talk to me about the army."

Scratch that statement about being appalled by Chad's excuse from before – now Taylor was even more irritated. "Excuse me?"

"He came to talk to me about coming back to the army." Chad said flat-out.

"And you told him you're not going back, didn't you?" she asked.

"At first yeah," Chad nodded, "but there was more to it than that."

"Oh my gosh." Taylor rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're still on this."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"You told me there was no more army talk, that there was nothing more to worry about. You promised nothing was going on after you hung up on the captain jerk after he called. And what happens? You bring the army right back up again." She complained.

"I wasn't the one who started it, ok? Jason brought up the subject and wouldn't let it go." He argued.

"What doesn't he understand?" Taylor questioned. "That you're actually happy at home? That you have a family to think of? That you're actually tired of killing people?"

"It's not about killing people or fighting or anything like that!" Chad exclaimed, exasperated. "It's also about helping people, you know!"

"There's plenty of soldiers and other people willing to join the army, why do they need you?" Taylor responded.

"It was either me or Jason!" he argued.

"So then let Jason go! We've already established you're not going back. You promised!" she fought back.

"You think he likes being in the army any more than I do?" Chad gasped. "Taylor, you don't even know what Jason was like when I saw him. He was serious and totally tuned in with the world. He looked like the most depressed guy on the planet. He's had about enough of that place as I did. He's even stuck working for them now recruiting people and he hates being that close to anything to do with it. The poor guy was traumatized from his experience on the field. You think I'm gonna let him go back to that?"

"You think I'm going to let you go back just because you want to protect your friend?"

"You don't get it, do you?"

"I have tried to! I've tried to understand what you went through and what it must have been like living that life!"

"But you don't know! You don't know anything about what Jason went through, and you sure as heck don't know any of the crap I had to deal with!" Chad looked her dead in the eye and she could see the hatred that he had for the life that just kept coming back to him. "Sure, you know what it's like to lose the most important person in your life. That's how I felt when I came home and couldn't find you. But you still had people. You had Troy and Gabriella and you had a life. You knew you were gonna live to see the next day. The plane I was supposed to leave on was hit and we were captured. All of us were stuck not knowing how long we were gonna make it to, or what the next day was gonna hold for us, or anything. I watched so many other soldiers die on the front and in that stupid prison cell. They didn't deserve any of that. No one deserves to die at the hands of a gun or a slow, painful death. Jason came back to me 'cause he knew I could handle that place better than he ever could. I've seen worse stuff than he did, and if we weren't out in a public place I swear he'd be a little kid cowering in a corner. He came to me so I could help people not die a death like that. There's still people in areas like that trapped by the stupid senseless fighting not knowing if they're gonna make it to see the next day and they have to watch their own family members die. If we were in that kind of position I'd pray every day for someone to come and save us. What kind of man would I be if I turned my back on the people who are begging for help and safety right now?"

It wasn't that Taylor didn't completely understand. She did get where Chad was coming from. The army wasn't just made of people to kill of other people, dangerous or not. They were also there to protect their country and to help anyone in need. She'd hate to imagine if they were the ones trapped in a warzone as well. Even so, she still couldn't understand why Chad made such a big deal out of this. None of this was his responsibility. Even if it was at one point, he gave it up to have a better life, so he could live the life he loved with the people that he loved. It wasn't his job to go out and save the world. He didn't even need to do some crazy gesture like that to be a hero. Yet the mere mention of that…that death trap…the simple thought of it…so much as even one of them bringing up the slightest thing to do with it and they were at each others' throats. Chad might have seen it as a way to help people in need and to be able to do things he never even imagined he could do. But Taylor saw it in a much darker light; she saw it as losing Chad again. The last time was pure luck; it was a miracle that he not only made it home in one piece somehow but actually found them. There was never more than one shot like that. One step onto the nearest base and Taylor might as well be planning a real funeral for him. It simply horrified her. That was why there was only one response she could think of to his question.

"The same kind of man you'd be for walking out on your family."

As much as the statement hurt, Chad knew he couldn't deny it. Turning his back on some of the people who needed the most help was just as bad as leaving his family a second time and knowing there was a greater possibility of him not returning. Unfortunately, both Chad and Taylor were very stubborn and argumentative people. Once either one of them got started, they refused to back down. And as far as Chad was considered, he was not letting in until he got his point across loud and clear. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

Suddenly it wasn't even about arguing anymore. It had become an emotional thing. Taylor jumping to conclusions and Chad biting her head off trying to make her understand was getting them nowhere. It was tearing them apart and they could feel a rift growing in between them.

Taylor has had enough of it. She knew this had to hurt Chad just as much as it was hurting her, but she refused to let it show just how much she was being affected. "Do what you want, Chad." She said softly yet icily shaking her head. "But I am not going to be the one to tell CJ you're leaving and break his heart." Leaving it at that and letting him see for only a brief second the hurt in her eyes, Taylor got up and stormed away, just going outside into the backyard and slamming the door behind her.

There was one of Chad's many flaws at work – he yelled before thinking. Chad was never one to think things through before doing or saying anything. It wouldn't be until afterwards that he'd regret whatever he had done. But at this point, he sighed and rubbed his head under the impression that there was no turning back. Still, he hoped that if he did go to the army he could compromise with them what to do rather than being sent right out. He didn't like the effects that followed his return. It was a sore spot for him and it was a sensitive spot for Taylor. And even after going head to head with her so many times, Chad didn't always know what to say after they fought. Nevertheless, he had to check on CJ, hoping he hadn't heard them bicker. What better intention to remain home than a little four-year-old boy? Taking a deep breath, Chad removed himself from the couch, not even realizing how long he'd been sitting there in that daze before Taylor had snapped him out of it. He went to the staircase and started heading upstairs to CJ's room, but looking up Chad stopped dead in his tracks. At the head of the steps, looking shocked and afraid, was none other than CJ. Chad felt an arrow hit his heart knowing that he was the one who caused his son to be so upset.

"You and Mommy were fighting." CJ said quietly, looking up at Chad afraid.

Chad shook his head and sat on one of the steps reaching CJ's level. "No…no, not like that." CJ looked at him again, and Chad knew that he'd been caught in a lie. Before he could say anything else, CJ spoke again.

"And you leaving again?"

"CJ…wherever I go to, I'm coming back." But even Chad sounded unsure when he said it, and CJ saw right through it.

"But you apposed to stay home, and we watch movies and play basketball." He said. "You leaved for a really long time before."

"I didn't mean to…" Chad shook his head. "And I never said I was leaving now."

"Mama said you was." CJ said. "And you seemeded like you was gonna go."

For that, Chad had no response. As much as he wished he had an answer, he didn't. CJ was right. Taylor had pretty much said that he was going if not then implied so. And Chad wasn't the one saying he was staying home either. With his own eyes, Chad was seeing his family torn apart. Not by the side that fought to help and protect people, but the dark side that killed and pulled people away from their families. All because of that and that he had considered going back for the right reasons, Chad was losing the love of his life and on the verge of losing his son.

"CJ…" he started, reaching out for him. Chad didn't know what else to say. But he had hoped that just reaching out to CJ, CJ would understand and they could lean on each other. But still afraid of not just his father leaving, but of what might happen now, CJ jerked away. He got up and went into his room, closing the door behind him. Chad's heart sunk and he looked down at the floor. It was then he noticed a crumbled up piece of paper. Picking it up and unfolding it, Chad's eyes fell on the picture that CJ had drawn at school, the one he was so happy about. It was of their family – CJ, Chad, and Taylor. The picture was brightly colored and about as neat as any other four-year-old would draw such an image. But they looked happy. The picture was made out of love. Where was that love now? Sighing, Chad knew what he had to do. It wasn't going to be easy, but he knew what had to be done. He got up once again and this time made his way out to the backyard. He had to talk to Taylor. But even that wasn't as simple as it sounded. Before reaching the back door, the air was still tense from their argument. Chad knew that almost any time, Taylor would tune someone out and just act on impulse. Chad wouldn't blame her if she did this time. Heck, even he had been like that on occasions. But it wasn't out of pure anger this time; it was out of pain.

Taking a deep breath, Chad's eyes fell on Taylor on the lawn chair. She was facing away and keeping completely to herself. Her hands were squeezing her arms, no doubt with her arms across her chest in such a manner that was putting up a wall between her and the world. She needed to be alone now; to let out her steam. Chad knew it very well. Still, that wasn't going to stop him from trying. He softly cleared his throat to get her attention. "Tay?"

She didn't even move a muscle. She clutched her arms tighter, practically cringing at the sound of Chad's voice so soon after their fight. It was wrong, she knew. But she didn't want to talk – to him or anyone. Nor was she in the mood to listen.

"Tay." He said again, desperately wanting to get her attention. Nothing. He took a few steps forward and reached out to touch her shoulder, but the instant she felt him draw near Taylor got out of the lawn chair and stepped away from him. Her back was still facing Chad and she refused to look at him or to let him see her face.

"Tay I just need to talk for a minute…" Chad nearly begged.

Taylor shook her head. "Shut up." She replied, barely above a whisper. "Just shut up."

He wasn't ready to take no for an answer. "But Tay…"

"I don't wanna talk." She shook her head. Her voice was shaking and she still felt hurt. However, despite that she refused to show it, Taylor was already regretting her actions. She was too proud to admit that she was making a huge mistake, that she had already made one by picking a fight in the first place.

Chad was going to try one more time. "Taylor…"

"Just go." She choked out.

It was then that Chad realized nothing would work. Whether it was for one night or for who knows how long, there was no point in trying to change her mind. At least for tonight, they were finished. Surrendering, Chad had no choice but to turn and leave.

Taylor heard him leave. She still regretted pushing him away. It was a chance to apologize for both speaking out of line and for being jerks. But it was a little late for that. Taylor simply felt overcome with emotion. She was hurt from the argument with Chad. She was angry at him for thinking about going back to the army. But most of all, she was scared about what would happen next and where it left them. Leaning up against a tree she sunk down and buried her face into her knees, just wishing everything could go back to normal.

* * *

Alright so I know I said I'd update in about a week, but instead of reading for my English class tomorrow, I was typing this. XD Ok, and watching Teen Mom, but it's addicting! This chapter was so hard to write cause especially the more I wrote it the more I was thinking how depressing this was and no matter how many times I played out howit would go in my head, it doesn't make writing it any easier. On the bright side, you guys know that Chad didn't disappear last chapter or something. But here, I was trying to write how both Chad and Taylor screwed up with things they said and what they're doing so even though one may be more at fault than the other they each still share the blame and part of that is what their relationship is about, because they can be so stubborn and things like that and get caught up in that and live in the past how they would have used to argue. It was especially hard to write CJ in this cause I almost had no idea exactly what he would say, I just knew his reaction. And where would the story be without drama or something going on? So I'm not gonna ask if you guys enjoyed it or not cause I already have an idea of what your reactions are gonna be, but the same thing holds true that I will try and get the next chapter up by next week so hopefully the sooner the chapters get up, the less we'll all deal with the torture of this reading. Ok, better end this with something totally random and not down in the dumps... PUDDING!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. Just the characters I make up.

* * *

Most likely when something bad happens there tends to be two sides to the story, one from each person. But in this situation it goes a tad differently. There was nothing for two people to argue over how something happened. There was no doubt in either Chad or Taylor's mind how their argument went down. It started with Chad's news about possibly going back to the army, they exchanged some bad words, Taylor pushed him away, and Chad was out the door. That was more or less the way that it happened. But in times of crisis like those, there could sometimes be the tendencies to white out. That was something Taylor had experienced after tossing and turning all night praying it was just a horrible nightmare. She knew how bad things went down between her and Chad. They argued and he went upstairs to CJ, then he came back, she pushed him away and then he left. There was a point where Taylor didn't think it went that bad. She honestly didn't think she said half of the things she did. Unfortunately, she did remember pushing him away when he came back out to talk to her. And now because of their terrible fight, Taylor had no idea what they were anymore or what it was going to do to their family let alone their marriage. Even the fact that she was still pregnant was the last thing on her mind.

Slowly awaking from a very disturbed slumber, Taylor turned on her side and felt beside her on the bed, hoping that maybe Chad was there. But he wasn't. It was possible that when he left last night he returned to the army. By now it would be too late to reach him. She had no idea where exactly the base would be or if he did go back where Chad would be departed. And if this hurt Taylor enough, it was going to kill her to see CJ's reaction. He was so overjoyed to have Chad home and to actually have his father around. Now it was all gone and soon to be nothing more than a distant memory. Turning back around and looked at her clock, Taylor saw it was time to get CJ ready for school. Sighing, she got out of bed and took her bathrobe. Putting it on and wrapping it, she exited her room and walked down the hall to CJ's. She didn't even need to knock or step in the doorway; she could see very clearly that CJ was awake and depressed. He sat on his bed under the blankets just looking down and quite exhausted. He must have not gotten any sleep at all last night. Taylor cautiously made her way inside.

"Morning honey." She said softly.

CJ didn't even look up. "Daddy left last night." He answered quietly. "He lefted us."

Taylor knew very well there was nothing she could say to fix this. She couldn't promise CJ that Chad would come back. She was even willing to bet that he knew Chad may not return. The most she could to do was be there for him and do whatever she could to protect him from another heartache. Not knowing any other way to respond, Taylor sat on CJ's bed beside him and picked him up into her lap, hugging him close. CJ must have sensed how Taylor felt as well, because he simply cuddled up close to her and rested his head on her chest.

"You not gonna leave me too, are you?" he whimpered.

Taylor instantly shook her head. "Of course not, sweetie." She whispered. "I'm not going anywhere."

CJ nodded and sniffed. "You not gonna make me go to school today are you?"

She didn't expect him to want to go to school today. Not with what happened last night. The poor kid would never be able to focus. Taylor didn't blame him. She doubted she'd be able to concentrate at work either when all she could think about was Chad. "No, you don't have to go to school today. We can both just stay home."

"Ok." CJ nodded quietly.

Taylor rubbed his back and slowly got up. "I'll call my office and tell them I'm not coming in today and then I'll get some breakfast ready for us." With another nod from CJ, Taylor went back into her room and dialed work. Naturally no one was in that early and even if someone was they'd most likely be busy opening up. Taylor left a message on the machine and said that she would find another day to make up for the time. After hanging up she gave CJ's school a quick call and simply told them he wasn't feeling well. No sooner did she get off the phone with the school that the phone rang itself. Wondering who it could be so early, Taylor picked it up. "Hello?"

"Taylor! How is my wonderful baby sister?" An overexcited voice screeched from the other line.

Taylor held in a sigh, knowing that voice could only belong to one other person. That was her older sister. It was the same sister who always gave her boy advice, the sister that at one point in Taylor's life she actually looked up to and aspired to be. Needless to say, the two McKessie girls had certainly gone in opposite directions – both with their own lives and love lives. "Morning Tonicka."

"Now don't act so down in the dumps Taylor. You know I just had to come and visit you. I heard about Chad coming back, I just had to see you and my favorite nephew." She responded.

"CJ's your only nephew." Taylor reminded her.

"Well we'll have plenty of time for that later. I just got into town. I'll be at your house in about thirty minutes. Ciao bella!"

Taylor rolled her eyes hearing the other end go dead. Yup, as usual Tonicka had gotten in everything she needed to say and hung up instantly before Taylor had a chance to respond. This was so not what she needed right now. It wasn't that Taylor had any problems with her older sister; she loved Tonicka dearly. But like any other siblings, there were just things that irked her about Tonicka. The main thing was their ideas on relationships. Taylor had long ago discarded any boyfriend rules her sister had made and went on to marrying Chad happily after college. Tonicka on the other hand never found the right guy to settle down with. She had just jumped from man to man to man thinking she knew how to handle everything; in reality, it all ended up blowing in her face. And even now Tonicka didn't think she needed a man. More so, she doubted that Taylor needed someone like Chad in her life. Tonicka never did approve of that boy. Part of it was probably because of jealousy, that Taylor had not only found the right guy but someone who was able to balance her out and put everything aside just for her. Tonicka never had someone like that. The other part was simply because she thought her baby sister was too good for Chad. Even though there was nothing more than a four year age difference between the sisters, Taylor still hated the fact that Tonicka thought she had to be so protective. It got real old real fast.

Walking out of her room, Taylor returned to CJ. "Auntie Tawni's coming." She told him, calling her sister by the nickname CJ had given her – seeing as how when he first learned to talk he couldn't say Tonicka's name properly. "Get dressed, sweetie. I'm starting breakfast."

"Ok." CJ nodded going over to his closet.

Taylor then made her way downstairs. She didn't like the fact that her sister was inviting herself over after what might have been one of the worst nights of Taylor's life. And she was certain CJ didn't want to deal with this either. But who was she to turn away family? After all, Tonicka was more or less the only family they had. Chad's parents passed years ago and Taylor's mother, her only other living relative, died when CJ was two. She wasn't about to take her own sister for granted. Taylor's feelings on possibly losing Chad for good again were just going to have to wait. Less than ten minutes later, just as Taylor and CJ were sitting down for breakfast there was a knock on the door and entered none other than Tonicka.

"Knock knock, I'm coming in!" she called cheerfully just walking in with her pocketbook in hand.

CJ looked over to his mother as Tonicka walked in. Taylor could sense the discomfort on CJ's face. He was no more in the mood for this than she was. But both knew they had to put on a happy face. Telling CJ to stay seated, Taylor got up and went to greet her sister.

"Hey Tonicka. Long time no see." She said with a small smile. "I thought you said you'd be here in thirty minutes."

"What can I say, the traffic was nonexistent!" Tonicka smiled widely as she pulled Taylor into an enormous bear hug. "Come here my favorite sister dear!"

"I'm your only sister." Taylor muttered into Tonicka's chest.

"Which is why you're my favorite!" Tonicka grinned, letting her go.

Taylor rubbed her neck and took a look at her sister. She certainly hasn't changed a bit since the last time they'd seen each other. Tonicka had always been a bit on the hyper side. She had no problems showing her feelings. Tonicka looked almost like an older version of Taylor. She had the same hair, eyes, and skin tone. Her black curls reached just past her shoulders and she dressed in a bit more of a preppy style for an adult, with a flowery skirt and a shrug over a white t-shirt. Tonicka was one slightly on the heavier side, but Taylor was well aware it was just the big-boned figure that ran on one side of their family.

"It's great to see you again, sis." Taylor said, not sure what else to say at the moment.

"I know!" Tonicka responded. "Now where's that husband of yours?"

Taylor shook her head and signaled Tonicka to lower her voice as to not upset CJ. Not everything Tonicka had to say about Chad was charming and Taylor wasn't going to let CJ think any less of Chad than he might have already done. "Actually…he's not here right now."

Tonicka raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "He finally kicked the bucket didn't he?"

"What? No!" Taylor gasped. She then shook her head before adding, "I really don't want to talk about it."

"What's there to talk about?" Tonicka questioned. "You are a free woman now, girl. You can come and go as you please, date whoever you like."

"I'm not starting on this now, not when you just got here." Taylor responded. "I was just about to sit down and have breakfast with CJ…"

"Great, I'm starved!" Tonicka interrupted. "Let me see the little boy while you set up and extra plate."

Taylor bit her tongue, thinking everything about her sister as to not let it all out. "Of course." She nodded, leading her into the kitchen.

"Hi Auntie Tawni." CJ said quietly seeing Taylor and Tonicka come in.

"Hey there baby boy." Tonicka cooed, picking CJ up and pinching his cheeks. "How are you today?"

"Hurty." CJ squeaked, clearly not enjoying Tonicka's attention.

"Oh I know it must be devastating to see your sorry excuse for a father leave you." Tonicka sighed.

Taylor placed the breakfast on the empty slot on the table and ran her finger across her neck. "That's enough, Tonicka, please." She warned. "Can we please just have a nice family breakfast?"

"Of course, of course." Tonicka nodded, setting back CJ at his chair who was now rubbing his cheek. "So tell me," Tonicka told him, "how is school?"

"It's ok. I've been doing good." CJ said simply as he continued eating. Just as Taylor was, he didn't seem all in the mood to chat either.

"Well I wouldn't expect anything less from my talented nephew." Tonicka grinned. "After all, you started school so early."

"He officially starts elementary school next year." Taylor stated, taking a bite from her breakfast.

"Well he did take after his mother, that's for sure." Tonicka responded proudly. "Speaking of which, shouldn't he be in school today?"

"He's not feeling well. He didn't want to go. So I'm staying home and watching him." Taylor answered.

"Well you shouldn't have to sacrifice work because he takes a lazy day like his father would." She responded.

"It's not a lazy day." Taylor said.

"May I please be excused?" CJ asked quietly, pushing his plate away.

"See what you do, Taylor? You've made him lose his appetite. The poor boy needs to eat." Tonicka scolded.

"I'll handle this." Taylor said getting up from her seat. Picking up CJ, she carried him upstairs to his room.

"Why did Auntie Tawni have to come today?" he sighed once they were out of earshot.

"She called and invited herself over. You know we don't turn away family." Taylor told him.

"She says bad things sometimes." CJ said.

"You can't let everything she says get to you." Taylor shook her head. "Auntie Tawni means well. She just has a strange way of showing it."

CJ looked down, "She keeps saying bad stuff about Daddy."

Taylor kissed his head and sat him down on his bed once they got into his room. Even though CJ was still hurt by Chad leaving, he still didn't want to look down on his father. He still had hope that Chad would come back. And the day after Chad leaving a crazy relative coming over from out of the blue and voicing her opinion the same way she always does…. It was simply too much for CJ. Taylor knew that what he needed was some space right now. She wanted some of that for herself as well. But right now she had to respect that CJ needed that space more than she did and she needed to deal with her sister.

"I'll handle her downstairs. You can stay up here for a little bit." She said softly. "You know where I am if you need anything."

"Ok." CJ nodded quietly. He then watched as Taylor left the room and headed back downstairs where Tonicka had already finished her plate.

"Someone looks down in the dumps." Tonicka observed in a baby voice.

Taylor shook her head and sat down. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Great, so we can talk about me." Tonicka grinned. "So ever since I broke up with Brad last month, I've had a revelation. I need to do something with my life other than just chase boys. I need to chase men. So I figured why not take my favorite sister out for a night of clubbing where we can meet our dream men?"

Taylor didn't even know where to start correcting Tonicka first. Actually, she did. "I already have my dream man. And that's Chad."

Tonicka rolled her eyes. "You can give up the charade now, it's just us."

"There's no game here, Tonicka." Taylor insisted. "I don't know how you can just live life doing more than one thing and jumping from one guy to another."

"It's called living a life, Taylor. You should try it sometime." She answered.

"I do have a life. It involves taking care of CJ. You know, my son." Taylor reminded her.

"I still don't think you should have never named him after Chad. What has that guy done for you anyway?" Tonicka said. "Left you for the army? Faked his own death?"

"He never intended to do any of those things and you know it." Taylor answered. "Giving CJ Chad's name wasn't my first choice either. But I'm not changing a thing. That's who he is."

"Someone's a bit cranky this morning." Tonicka sang, completely oblivious to what – or who – was annoying Taylor. "I think we need to spend a day watching a movie. How about 50 First Dates? Or When in Rome? Or maybe we need to watch something sappier like The Notebook."

"Please no." Taylor shook her head, rubbing her forehead. "I'm really not in the mood for a chick flick."

"Wow, you love a good romantic story." Tonicka muttered.

"With my husband. Not with my sister." Taylor finished. "Can we watch something different, like a cartoon or something?"

"Fine, fine." Tonicka sighed getting up and moving into the living room. "I'm not going to start a fight with you."

"You kind of are." Taylor muttered to herself, quickly clearing off the table before following her sister. No sooner did she walk into the living room that Tonicka had already gone through most of the DVD's and placed one in the DVD player. Taylor rolled her eyes and sat down beside her sister, pulling her legs into her chest on the couch as she just stared at the loading TV screen.

Tonicka glanced at her sister, then at the TV screen. "So how is that job of yours working out?"

"Fine, fine." Taylor nodded not making eye contact. "I got promoted."

"That's all?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty much." Taylor responded picking up the remote. "What about-"

Before she could finish, Tonicka interrupted once again. "So if you're doing so well at work why would your so-called man leave you?"

"Tonicka please stop…" Taylor groaned.

"I'm just trying to help you out. Why is it so wrong that I want such a part in my baby sister's life?" Tonicka replied.

"You want me to talk about Chad?" Taylor demanded as she rose from her seat. "Fine, I will. I hate that he's gone again. I hate that he left the first time and I was devastated when I thought he was gone. I almost lost CJ because of the stress that brought. Then all of a sudden Chad came back and everything was fine again. Yeah, it was rough at first but then it felt like he never left. It was a dream come true, Tonicka, and you just can't seem to understand that. You have no idea what I'm going through because you don't care about finding the right man. All you do is jump from one person to another not giving a damn about how you or anyone else feels. You never take the chance to settle down. You call it living a life but I call it not living a life. What's the point of going on if you don't have anyone special to share it with? I may not have Chad right now but I still have CJ. I have Troy and Gabriella. And I've got you. Who do you have other than what's left of your family, Tonicka?" It was a lot for Taylor to say and she wasn't even finished yet. Gradually everything she said had her choking more and her voice became hoarse, far too easy to tell how much her sister had crossed the line that was her feelings. "The first time Chad left I was pregnant with CJ. And now I'm pregnant again. And I didn't even get the chance to tell Chad. We got into an argument and I pushed him away. It's my fault he's going back to the army, Tonicka. I should have given him the chance to finish talking but it was too late. I told him to leave. And now it's not just hurting me, it's hurting CJ. It's not even just about me, it's about him. CJ's hurting right now. He needs both of his parents now and he deserves it. But he's not even going to get that now and he may never have a chance because Chad could never come back. You don't get it at all, Tonicka. You never did and you never will because you've never been in love before so you don't know what it's like to lose someone that important to you!"

Tonicka sat speechless as she watched her sister collapse onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. She could have never imagined Taylor hurting so much. Tonicka was never the most selfless person. She had always focused so much on whatever problems she had, that she never thought her own sister would have any problems. Taylor always listened to her complaining and she was always so smart knowing the right thing to do. Tonicka was never like that. But this had all taken a toll on Taylor and now she needed her big sister to be there and listen to her. Sighing softly, Tonicka moved closer to Taylor and wrapped an arm around her, gently caressing her back.

"I'm sorry, Tay." She said softly. "I didn't realize how bad this was for you."

"You never do." She responded muffled through her hands. "All you think about is you."

"I guess I haven't been a very good sister, have I?" Tonicka asked.

"I'd rather not answer." Taylor sniffed.

"Look, if you want some real big sister advice…" Tonicka said as she tried to contemplate exactly what would be best to say, "…don't sit around and mope about it. It's like when a guy breaks up with me. I don't sit around and mope. Sure I kinda jump to the next hot one I see…but if I sat around complaining and stuffing my sorrows and ice cream that wouldn't do any good either. C'mon Tay, you're the smart one. You know what you have to do."

"Great, then you tell me." Taylor muttered.

Tonicka rolled her eyes, taking note of how even in the worst of times Taylor did not once stop being so stubborn. "Right now, it doesn't matter what happens with Chad. He's not here. He's…wherever he got deployed to. But CJ is here. If there's any one man in your life you could ever count on, it's him. You need to tell him he's gonna be a big brother."

As much as Taylor hated to admit it, for once her sister had a point. Taylor was a mother first and she had to think about CJ and the baby. She couldn't do anything without telling him first, no matter where Chad was. And unfortunately, if Chad missed another child then it was his loss. Taylor nodded as slowly sat up straight, wiping her eyes. "You're right. You're right, Tonicka."

"Was there ever any doubt?" she chuckled.

Taylor looked at her doubtfully.

Tonicka nodded, getting the message. "Point taken. Maybe I should let you and CJ talk for a while. I'll head to the hotel."

"Alright." Taylor nodded standing up. "Thanks Tonicka. You really are a good sister."

"Well I've gotta do at least one right thing." She shrugged. "So if you have no objections, I'm gonna freshen up at the hotel and then hit the clubs for some man hunting."

Some things would just never change; Taylor learned to accept that about her sister. But she was just glad that even if there was one person she could count on, Tonicka could come through in the worst situations somehow. "Good luck." She smiled lightly, hugging her. "Call me later."

"Of course." Tonicka nodded, hugging her back. "Good luck with CJ. I'll see you two soon." Grabbing her things after pulling away, Tonicka then made her way out of the house.

Taylor took a deep breath. She took a minute or two to compose herself and then went into the bathroom to wash her face, not wanting CJ to notice she had been crying. Looking in the mirror, Taylor took a deep breath. She kept telling herself that she was doing this for CJ. If they were going to get through this, they were going to do it together. With a final deep breath, Taylor walked into CJ's room. She knocked on the door lightly to get his attention, seeing him sitting on his bed.

CJ looked up at Taylor. "Where's Auntie Tawni?" he wondered.

"She just left. But she'll talk to us really soon." Taylor answered. She walked into the room and sat on the edge of his bed. "It's probably a good thing, because there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What's goin on?" CJ wondered, not sure if he should be scared or not. "Is it bout Daddy?"

Taylor shook her head. "Not exactly." She held her arms out to him and CJ crawled into her lap. Taylor wrapped her arms lovingly around him, trying to figure out the best way to tell this to CJ. "There's going to be a new baby soon. You're going to be a big brother."

CJ tilted his head, looking at her curiously. "I get a baby brother?"

"Or baby sister." Taylor answered. "It won't be for a while. But I don't want you to think this changes anything. Whatever we do, we do together. But you'll always be my number one."

"So this mean you no forget bout me?" he asked.

Taylor smiled and shook her head. "Never. And until Daddy gets back, we both need to be strong."

CJ smiled and his eyes lit up. "I can be strong!" he exclaimed, eager to be considered the man of the house. "I can do lots of stuff. Like clean dishes. And make prettyful pictures. And clean my room."

Taylor giggled and playfully tickled him. "I know you can."

Families always had at least one person you could count on more than anything. Another member could be the black sheep or a total screw up. Taylor had both of those. But now, more than anything, she was glad to have both of them close by. Her sister was smarter than she gave her credit for. And Taylor was actually glad she had told CJ; he deserved to know. Taylor couldn't be happier at how excited he was. Inside she knew they were both still hurting about Chad, but they couldn't let it consume their every thought. No one said that this was going to be easy; Taylor never expected it to be. And who knew – maybe Chad would be back before either of them knew it. There would always be that little speck of hope in a mass of pain and chaos.

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Wow, I'm a good 3 weeks late aren't I? DX As usual, I'm so sorry I keep posting the chapters late. I've had so much homework and junk to deal with. I started this early last week (or some time like that) and I didn't get to finish it until tonight. Yes, tonight, the one night where the only homework I really had was to start writing an English essay due on Friday but hey, why not procrastinate, right? Its fun, it's a way of life, and it's a terrible habbit. Anyway, let's move on to talking about this chapter. I could have just jumped right to what I was gonna write for the next chapter, but I thought this might be better. You know, let Taylor tell CJ about the baby and meet someone else in their family. I played this scene a few different times ni my head and needless to say it didn't turn out exactly as I had first pictured it, but the idea is the same. See what's what happens when something's put off no matter how much other junk there is to do. So now, at least for the end of this chapter, everything looks just fine. You'll find out what goes down next chapter and what else is in store. Cause trust me, this story isn't ending so easily and predictable like now. And since I'm blabbing for no reason now, I'm gonna finish up my ice cream and go to bed to get up for an 8 am class! XD Good night peoples!


	16. Chapter 16

I do not own anything HSM related.

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"Is he still up there?"

Troy glanced to Gabriella as he came downstairs. He sighed and nodded. The past couple of days have not been easy for anyone. Word had gotten out about Chad rather easy and Gabriella was more than worried about her best friend. She could only imagine what Taylor was going through right now. It pained her even more to think about CJ, who probably had no idea what was happening to his family. Troy's mind, on the other hand, while it was thinking about Taylor and CJ, was more occupied with his own best friend. He knew what all of this was doing to Chad and it had to stop. He just wasn't sure what to do. Whatever he and Taylor fought about before he left, it had to have been about something epic – something epically bad.

"The door's still slammed shut." Troy answered with a sigh.

"He can't stay up there forever. What are we going to do?" Gabriella asked as Charity toddled over to her and Gabriella slipped on her daughter's jacket.

"I'll try to get him out somehow, but it's not gonna be easy." Troy said. "The guy's heart might as well have been ripped out with everything that happened."

"It can't keep going on like this. I'm worried about him, and I'm not sure how much longer we can keep it hidden." She replied. "And I certainly can't keep my mouth shut today."

"You have to try just a little longer. I'll do what I can to knock some sense into him." Troy promised.

"Alright," she nodded picking up her purse and putting her own jacket on, "Charity and I are going to see Taylor and CJ. We'll be back before dinner."

"Good luck." Troy said pecking her lips.

Gabriella nodded and picked up Charity before walking out the door. "See you tonight."

Troy rubbed the back of his head. What was he going to do? He knew he had to talk to his friend and find out what was going through that guy's mind when he said what he said. But he couldn't exactly talk to someone who refused to open their own door. He'd barely even left the room for anything except to use the bathroom. When he did leave the room for that he never even said anything; he just had the same depressed look on his face. Every day Troy or Gabriella would bring food to his door and very rarely he would take it after they left. He probably felt his life was over because he lost someone and made the biggest mistake of his life. Troy knew the guilt was consuming him, but he couldn't stay locked in the guest room forever. The only issue was how to approach the situation. It wasn't exactly someone who you could open the door to and say 'get up loser and face the world'. Troy had to take care of this delicately. If the wrong thing came out it would not be pretty. Unfortunately, there wasn't any time to just think about what to do. Troy had to take action now. Taking a deep breath, he got off the couch and headed upstairs. As he made his way to the guest room, Troy was fairly certain he could almost smell the horrible scent coming from inside. It had only been a few days, but that was enough to make the room – and more likely his friend – stink like a skunk. Troy knew he was going to regret asking this.

"Ok man, open the door." He sighed, knocking on it.

Only a mumbled 'no' was a response.

"You can't stay in there forever. You have to come out." Troy replied.

Yet there was the same response.

Troy didn't want it to come to this but… "If you won't come out, I'm coming in."

Another mumble.

Rolling his eyes, Troy opened the door and walked into the room. He scrunched his nose and flinched at the stench. Oddly enough, it wasn't his friend buried under the covers on the bed that stunk. Rather it was all the garbage on the floor. Tons of used tissues, napkins, paper plates, rotting food, other garbage…. Troy shook his head and held his nose. This had gotten worse than he thought. "Why are you living in this pigsty? You're nowhere near this messy."

"Go away." He mumbled from underneath the blankets.

Troy shook his head again. "I'm not leaving until you snap out of it. Come on man, you can't let this one setback throw you off."

"Why not? It ruined my life and it's my fault." He complained.

"You can't keep blaming yourself. Snap out of it." Troy insisted. Groaning, he knew he wouldn't get through to his friend this way. Not being buried underneath blankets and thinking his life was over. Carefully stepping over the piles of garbage, Troy made his way over to the bed. He tugged off the blankets to reveal Chad, who was curled up in a ball looking completely miserable. He wasn't even taking care of himself at all. His hair hadn't been combed in the days that he's been there. He hadn't shaved at all and the little goatee he had was starting to become a fuzzy beard. Yeah, he hadn't showered either but at least he smelled better than the room. It didn't even look like Chad changed out of the clothes he had come in. And his eyes were filled with nothing but loneliness and despair. Troy didn't think at all it could have been that bad. "Dude…" he breathed, dropping the blanket, "you look…um…well you sorta look…horrible."

"Gee thanks." Chad muttered sarcastically.

Troy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "Ok, ok, sorry." He apologized. "I guess I don't know exactly what you're going through."

"You never do." Chad shook his head. "How many times have you and Gabs fought? Hardly ever. You don't know what it's like to get into a huge fight and lose her."

"Just because you and Taylor had a big battle doesn't mean you lost her." Troy said.

"No, it does." Chad responded. "Taylor made it clear she hated my guts."

"Chad you're overreacting. It's not as bad as you make it sound to be." Troy said.

"You weren't there. You don't get how bad it really was." Chad replied.

If anything else, it was getting Chad to talk. That was the main goal. If Troy could just get an idea of what Chad was going through then maybe he'd be able to do something to help. It was going to be hard, but this was his best friend. Troy hated to see him heartbroken. Heck, he hated to see a grown man cry, too. "Alright, so tell me how bad it really was."

Chad glared at Troy. He did not just ask him that. It was not something Chad wanted to relive and yet Troy was making him. "My own son walked away from me. He looked at me like he knew what was going on and wanted nothing to do with me. That's how bad it was Troy. That was coming from a kid less than five years old. Do you know how much that hurts? CJ hates me and so does Taylor. How am I supposed to get over that? How can I win the both of them back? I should've never even listened to Jason in the first place; he's the reason I started considering going back to the army. And now it's got my family turning their back on me and thinking I don't care. They don't want anything to do with me cause I made the stupidest mistake of my life. You try to tell me that doesn't sound really bad. Try to tell me that's a fixable situation, Troy."

Troy wished he could say that. He really wanted everything to work out with them. But that sounded way worse than he thought it was. Troy never expected any of that to come from Chad's family. Usually Chad seemed like he had it all, ever since he had been home. He had a decent job. He had a brilliant son. He had a gorgeous loving wife. He was a provider. He had a roof over his head. He had people he loved and held close to him. It was an average family and yet it meant everything to Chad. And now just because he had almost decided to go back to the life away from them he hated so much, it was all blowing up in his face. He was losing everything. Forget the fact that it caused him and Taylor to fight. Plenty of things had them fighting and they always made up. But the thought of going back to the army was such a sore spot for both of them. Troy almost wondered what would cause Chad to even think about going back to that life but in reality he knew what the reason was – it was to help out a friend. Chad thought he was doing the right thing. But it wasn't as right as Chad thought it was. He screwed up and knew it. Troy's heart went out to his friend; Chad really believed there was no hope left.

Troy rubbed his head as he tried figuring out just what to say. "Look…I know it seems bad. This isn't exactly a dream come true. But that doesn't mean it can't be fixed."

Chad scoffed and turned on his side, his back facing Troy. It was obvious that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"You're miserable without them, man. And if you're this upset without them around, Taylor and CJ are probably just as upset without you." Troy gave it to him straight. "Face it, Chad. You're a mess without them. What makes you think they're happy without you?"

"They probably are." He muttered.

Troy shook his head. "Chad you're living in a pigsty. They're back to living alone in that empty house. It's nothing without you. That's your family. How can you be sitting here thinking they're totally fine without you?"

"What else am I supposed to do? Maybe they're better off without me." Chad sighed.

This was starting to get out of hand. Troy never knew Chad to be such a downer before. Chad was never one to just give up. If anything, it would take something huge to get him to think that. Unable to take it anymore, Troy started shaking his friend. "Snap out of it, man. You know they're not better off without you. They miss you just as much as you miss them and you're sitting here complaining about what a huge mistake you made instead of going out and fixing it."

Chad pushed Troy's arms off of him and turned to face him. "How am I supposed to fix things when they both made it clear they don't want me around? I got their message loud and clear."

That was the last straw. Troy was going to get through to Chad one way or another. As much as he didn't want to take it this far, he knew he had to. Troy raised his arm and slapped Chad across the face. Troy's face fell instantly after he did that. "I'm sorry, man. It had to be done."

Chad lightly rubbed his cheek. He looked at Troy and sighed. "You're right. You're right about everything. I kinda needed that."

"You did need that." Troy responded. "Look, just because it feels like your life is over doesn't mean it is. You could have gone back to the army and continued. You could have moved on and never looked back, letting that fight between you and Taylor hover over your mind for as long as you'd be gone and not know what would happen when you came back. But you chose not to go. You chose to stay instead. There has to be a reason for that. And if I know you like I think I do, you came here cause you didn't wanna go through with it. You couldn't live through going back there after knowing how much it hurt everyone. It didn't just break their hearts, Chad. It broke yours. And you thought that at least if you stayed here there'd be a chance to fix everything. You wouldn't still be here if you didn't believe. You know it can be fixed but you're too stubborn and proud to admit it and do anything."

Troy knew Chad all too well. They'd been best friends since kindergarten. There was hardly even anything they didn't know about each other. And Troy hit it right on the noggin. "You're right, man." Chad admitted.

Troy's look softened, "So if you know I'm right why are you still laying on the bed not doing anything?"

Chad shrugged his shoulders. "I guess I felt like I screwed up so miserably…I needed to do something to punish myself. I deserve it."

"You deserve a lot of things. But spending too much time away from your family isn't one of them." He replied. "How long were you planning on punishing yourself anyway?"

Chad glanced at Troy, "I dunno. What day is it?"

Troy folded his arms and looked at Chad doubtfully.

Chad sighed and shook his head. "I guess just a couple more days. I can't just walk up to the house and beg their forgiveness. It's not that easy. I need to figure out what to do to make it up to Tay and CJ. I'm not going back before then."

"You know if you spend too much time away from them, it might be too late." Troy stated.

"I know." Chad nodded. "And you're right. I guess I can't keep sitting here feeling sorry for myself. I just feel like I need to do some big grand gesture to make up for everything."

Troy shook his head, "You don't need to do some big grand gesture. You just have to tell them how sorry you are. They love you, they'll understand."

Chad sighed and rested his head back on the pillow. "I suppose you are right…"

"I am right and you know it." Troy answered. "So what are you gonna do about it?"

That was a question Chad wasn't entirely sure how to answer yet. He had spent this whole time dumping on himself and thinking his family would never take him back. He'd been living in a state of hopelessness. Even though it was just for a few days, it was a few days too long. Sometimes that's how it worked. A person could feel sorry for themselves beyond belief and feel so screwed in the head that life was over. It was the way Chad had thought of himself. Instead, he should have just gotten over it and tried to figure out how exactly to apologize. All Troy was trying to do was help him. And Chad was grateful that he and Gabriella took him in when he felt at his worst. He couldn't ask for a better set of friends. They told him just like it was even though Troy and Gabriella were probably the most fairy tale couple he had ever met in his life. Chad really did need to hear all that. He needed that sense knocked into him or else it really would be too late. Chad just hoped that he still had a chance now. Yet that still left the one question unanswered.

What was he doing to do about it?

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Ok, I'm really sorry how long this took to upload and it's not exactly a long chapter. I was swamped in homework and I was going to start this last week...I actually did start this chapter last week and it was not coming out well. So i had to postpone it for a little while. This was the plan though, now you all know where Chad is. I told you you'd find out soon. And you guys thought he had really left. Well...he didn't. So good for him. And ehre you get to see the wonderful friendship between Troy and Chad and how much troy really does care about him. But now you must be left in suspense again to find out what will happen. So as I finish typing this and rush off to go to school to read 2 chapters for class and try to make it there on time I'll leave you all with this...next chapter Gabriella goes to Taylor and you'll see their end of this during the time Troy and Chad are talking. That's all I'm gonna say. so I hope this chapter was decently put together and not suckish. If anything, it helped wake me up this morning. So happy late Thanksgiving, hope you all had a good November, and soon it will be the holidays! I'll do what I can to get the next chapter up around finals...or before! Happy Monday everyone!


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

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"Five…eleven…ninety-seven…six! Ready or not here I come!" Charity called as she then began roaming the house searching for CJ.

"Be careful not to break anything!" Gabriella called after her daughter. She and Charity had only been at Taylor's house for a half hour and already their kids had been running around the house. Gabriella and Taylor had barely even begun to chat and all they were doing was sitting on the couch and watching CJ and Charity while they were in the room. Shaking her head, Gabriella turned back to Taylor, "I swear those two just never seem to stop."

"And here I thought we were done with the terrible two's." Taylor said. With every word she spoke, Taylor kept looking from the corner of her eye to see where the children were running off to. Noticing this, Gabriella shook her head.

"You don't have to worry about watching them every second. We have very well behaved children…most of the time." She stated.

"I know we do…" Taylor agreed, "I guess I just can't help but worry about CJ. As happy as he can seem on the outside, I know Chad leaving had some effect on him."

Gabriella bit her tongue, hating it that she was keeping something so important from her friend. She had no idea how long she could keep it to herself where Chad really was and that maybe there was still some intention of coming back. Who was she kidding; Gabriella knew very well Chad had intention of coming back. She just hoped that Troy was able to get through to him. "It's hard on all of us."

Taylor shook her head, "The best thing to do is probably just to focus on CJ and hope that Chad will call soon. If I knew exactly where he was…if he was deployed or if he's still at a base or something…I would write him or call him and find out what's going on. I was so stupid for just pushing him away like that when he was trying to apologize."

"Everyone makes mistakes. You're just being too hard on yourself." Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "Has it really been that hard here?"

With only a few days that had passed, it was hard to tell. All Taylor knew for sure was that she missed Chad and wished there were some way to get him back. CJ was becoming more introverted and was only comfortable around her and Charity. Despite the fact that he expressed his excitement about a new addition to the family, it still didn't replace the hurt that happened with Chad's leaving. It was like everything had gone right back to where it started, and the situation was definitely taking its toll on everyone. Taylor knew she had to set an example for her son and move on with her life; if she focused on him, work, and the coming of a new baby, it would leave less time for the hurt that came from Chad. But when she was alone with her thoughts, whether it was when CJ was sleeping or she was on break at work, Taylor still thought about Chad and how much she missed him.

"It's sure not easier since the last time, that's for sure." Taylor sighed. "I just feel like everything's falling into a pattern. Chad and I are together for a few years and then he has to leave. But this time he wasn't even around for a few years or one year. It was just a few months. For once, it almost felt like nothing changed. That no time had passed since he was here or that we were separated. We were a family and nothing could come between that. But then the stupid army…"

"It sucks, I know." Gabriella was the first to agree. The two most important people in her life, her husband and her best friend, had been hurt because they lost someone so close to them and everyone had thought Chad was gone for good. With him back everyone's worlds seemed to light up again and everything was ok. And now everything was crashing down again. Still, that didn't stop Gabriella from looking at it logically. "But you can't blame the army. They do what they have to do and it is a line or work. The only people you can really blame and the ones who don't know how to run it properly or who are corrupt with power and think they can do anything or run their job anyway they want. Chad didn't want to go back and we all know it. The only thing you can really blame him for was choosing it."

"I'm done blaming him. I'm done being mad at him. I'm done pushing him away and thinking everything about being with him is just a fantasy." Taylor said softly. "It's just…. Now it's time to get our family back together for good. CJ doesn't just need Chad. I need Chad. And I don't know how I can go through this alone again."

Gabriella quirked an eyebrow. She thought she knew what Taylor meant by 'again'. Being a single mom again, raising CJ on her own again, doing everything on her own…but Gabriella knew her friend better than that. There was something more to it. She knew how stubborn Taylor was and probably wouldn't admit to something so easily; but that wasn't going to stop her from finding out. "What do you mean?"

Taylor slowly looked at her. Where would she even start? She had been planning on sharing the good news with Gabriella and Troy after telling Chad…. A lot of good that did. She never even had the chance to tell Chad and now he probably thought the worst of her. That wouldn't stop Taylor from telling Gabriella about her baby, but she just hated to keep burdening her friends for help with her problems. She had been doing everything almost on her own and Taylor knew she could handle it. Even so, the only person she should be asking for help from was Chad. That was going to be difficult to do if she had no idea where he was. Heck, she didn't even know what Jason's phone number was so she could give that man a piece of her mind. As furious as she was at him for dragging Chad back into this, Taylor couldn't let the stress get to her. If anything else, she knew she could count on Troy and Gabriella. When Chad was away during the latter part of her pregnancy, even being on the other side of the country didn't stop the friends from being there for each other. Taylor knew who she could count on, and whenever Troy and Gabriella needed help during their pregnancy with Charity, Taylor was more than happy to return the favor. Taking a deep breath and deciding to confide in her, Taylor's eyes met with Gabriella's.

"I'm pregnant again. And I didn't even get the chance to tell Chad about it."

Gabriella's eyes widened. At first, she was just plain speechless. And yet somehow, the next thing Gabriella knew, she was bursting out laughing. Almost falling off the couch, Gabriella held her sides trying to control herself.

Taylor, on the other hand, was shocked at her reaction. Why was Gabriella laughing? What was so funny about this situation? Something was not right with this woman…. Surely she would never laugh at something so serious. "What is so funny?" Taylor gasped. "Gabs, what are you laughing at?"

"I'm so sorry Tay…" Gabriella apologized in between all of her laughing, "I just can't believe it…"

"Believe what?" Taylor inquired. "What am I missing…?"

Gabriella tried her best to sit up and calm her laughter. "It's just…it's just that Troy and I…have been trying so hard…to have another baby…. But Chad is here not even six months…it's just so much easier for you! How…how do you do it?"

"Lack of protection, I suppose…" Taylor answered simply looking down.

Gabriella wiped her eyes as her chuckles died down. "How far along are you?"

"I'm not sure yet," she shook her head, "I have to make a doctor's appointment to get the first sonogram."

"Well, Chad or no Chad you know I'm more than happy to go with you." Gabriella said supportively. "And you know I didn't mean to laugh."

"Of course I do." Taylor responded. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"If Chad misses anything else it's his loss. But you still have one important guy in your life you can always count on." She stated.

"CJ." Taylor smiled hearing the laughter of him running around upstairs with Charity. "He's more than excited to be a big brother."

"He's going to make a great brother." Gabriella replied with a smile.

"Is it wrong to still want Chad here?" Taylor couldn't help but ask. She knew it wasn't; he still deserved to be there with his family and he was needed. But anyone could have a different opinion. Someone else might say that with Chad having missed out on so much with one child and then willingly leaving so quickly again he should have no part in their lives. This was something Taylor wanted to hear Gabriella's take on. As stubborn as Taylor was, it didn't stop her heart from telling her what she wanted. And for once, her mind wasn't telling her anything different. The question was, would someone else's mind and heart say the complete opposite?

"He's the love of your life. Of course it's not wrong." Gabriella shook her head softly. "Chad is a good guy and without any doubt he's a family man. Just because he makes one bad decision or can be hot-headed and stubborn it doesn't mean you have to kick him out of your life or want him out. He deserves to be here, you deserve to have him here, and his kids deserve him. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Don't let anything or anyone tell you otherwise."

Taylor smiled. It was such a relief to know Gabriella was on the same page as her. Sometimes it really did help to have a friend who was a hopeless romantic. "Thank you Gabriella. Not just for this…for everything."

Gabriella shrugged and smiled. "What are friends for?" she asked as the two of them hugged. And at that moment, she hated the fact she was keeping Taylor from Chad. Here Taylor wanted him back so badly, needing him to be around not just for her but for their kids, and Gabriella knew exactly where he was but chose to keep her mouth shut. She knew what Troy said. They had agreed to try to talk some sense into Chad and that he would have to talk to Taylor when he was ready. Heated argument or not, this just wasn't something to rush back into. Taylor had needed some of that time to think and digest everything while Chad needed to get his thoughts together and his confidence back. Without a doubt, Chad and Taylor being separated did not make either of them happy. Chad not having Taylor was a wreck emotionally and physically. And while Taylor's separation from Chad was more mental and emotional than physical, it was still something she was freely expressing and that was something she hardly ever did. Despite the two of them being complete opposites, anyone could tell that they were made for each other. Sighing softly, Gabriella just couldn't keep this to herself anymore. It didn't matter if Troy got through to Chad or not today. Maybe the thing he really needed was to talk to Taylor. And one way or another, it was going to be done.

It didn't matter if someone was going through the littlest thing or through the worst thing. But it was impossible to go through anything alone. Even with family behind them, a person could be nothing without friends by their side. Gabriella and Taylor had been there for each other since high school and were just like sisters. Neither of them would have it any other way. Gabriella knew if she and Troy were going through this, Taylor would be doing the same thing for them. The closeness they shared made them family; and right now their family was incomplete.

"I know where Chad is."

* * *

Ok, it was a really short chapter. It didn't drag out for as long as I wanted it to, but it was enough to get what I wanted to happen across. So now after last chapter you got to see Troy and Chad talking you got to see Gabriella's and Taylor's side of it. So Taylor finally let the cat out of the bag to Gabriella who at least saw a bright side to it...I dunno, I say it's easier to make Chaylor babies than Troyella ones but then again what do i know just being a writer person. So hopefully you all know means where this is going...anyone? Anyone know at all? Well if you don't know Im laving you in suspense and going to bed because it's past 12:30 am, I'm sleepy, and have my last final tomorrow! ^^ Or...actually it's today. XD And for pretty much the rest of this year I'm gonna be in Florida and on a family cruise so I know that for probably the next 2 weeks I won't be able to update. But then I've got pretty much a month off and I am planning on finishing this story before I go back to school. So for all of you who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! Anyone like me who celebrated Hanukkah, Happy Hanukkah! Happy New Year to everyone, happy anything else there is to celebrate and I will be back with the next chapter in 2011!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. Wait, do I...? No I don't.

Note: Remember that chapter I had in this story I said was like rated in the high T or something like that? Well, there's a couple of paragraphs like that in this chapter at the end too. Just so you know. So yeah, still T.

* * *

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. But they never say for how long. Sometimes when two people spend enough time apart they can grow apart and by the time they're reunited know nothing about each other anymore. Other times every passing day two people aren't together means they're just another day closer to being in each others' arms. Some couples have to go through separations more than once whether it is for work, traveling, or whatever. The absence of Chad from Taylor's life had already taken its toll once; there was the thought that he would never return and she wouldn't get a chance to see him again. Now knowing the truth about his whereabouts, she wasn't going to go another day without seeing him. They had been apart more than enough and at least this time she knew he wasn't going anywhere. As Taylor entered the Bolton household, she approached Troy and Gabriella with a sleeping CJ in her arms. She raised an eyebrow as she took a seat beside them on the living room couch.

"Are you guys watching Sonny with a Chance?" she inquired curiously.

"There's a marathon." Troy shrugged his shoulders.

Gabriella giggled, "And we were watching it with Charity before she got tired. She loves this show."

"Right…right Charity loves this show. Not me." Troy said quickly.

"Well I hate to pull you two away from your show," Taylor responded with a smile, "but I do have some business to take care of."

"Say no more. I'll go grab Charity." Gabriella nodded before turning off the TV and heading upstairs.

"You gonna try to work it out with Chad huh?" Troy guessed as he went to get his keys.

Taylor nodded. "I can't wait any longer. Chad and I need to fix this now. There are some things I have to tell him and we can't stay out of each others' lives."

"Gabs told me," Troy responded, "he hasn't exactly been in the best shape."

Taylor quirked an eyebrow. "Is everything ok?"

"You'll see when you go upstairs." He answered. "I'll leave the explaining to him but I'll tell you this much – he's not the same without you. Chad's a total wreck."

"It hasn't been so easy on me or CJ either." Taylor sighed. "And if he and I don't talk it out now he'll be missing more than he expects."

"Something I should know about?" Troy wondered.

Taylor shook her head. She was relieved Gabriella hadn't told Troy. After all, it was only Gabriella and Tonicka that knew. Anyone else that would find out, Taylor would be the one to tell them. "Not yet. I'll let you know."

"Well I'm sure I could always pull it outta Gabs…" Troy laughed.

Taylor playfully slapped his shoulder, "Don't even think about it."

"Don't even think about what?" Gabriella asked, coming down with Charity.

"Nothing." Taylor shook her head. "Are you sure you don't mind taking CJ?"

"Of course not." Gabriella responded. "This is grown-up stuff. We'll take care of CJ while you talk to Chad."

"Thank you so much guys." Taylor replied.

"You can just thank us by buying us dinner." Troy joked.

"Out to the car, Troy." Gabriella giggled, playfully pushing him out.

Troy rolled his eyes and picked up CJ and told Taylor, "We'll be back in about two hours. Think that's enough time?"

"Yeah, it should." Taylor nodded.

"We'll see you in two hours then. Good luck." Gabriella smiled to her friend as the four of them left.

Taylor watched her friends leave and took a deep breath, looking to the staircase. It was now or never. She hadn't expected to be this nervous about talking to her own husband. Troy said he was in pretty bad shape after being separated from Taylor, but Taylor didn't know how bad she should expect. Would Chad even want to see her? Who was she kidding; of course he'd want to see her…wouldn't he? But Taylor couldn't think like that. All day she had been planning out exactly what to tell Chad, how to talk to him, and she wasn't about to back out now. Not only did she have to work things out with Chad and say how sorry she was for pushing him away, she had to tell him about the baby. She had to keep in mind who she was doing this for. For them, and for their family; those were the only things that mattered and after spending years focusing on her family she wasn't about to back out from it now. Taylor made her way upstairs and towards the guest room. The door was closed and there weren't any sounds coming from inside. No music, no voice, no TV, no nothing. Maybe Chad was sleeping. Even if he was and Taylor didn't want to disturb him, there was no putting this off. Not even knocking on the door, Taylor cautiously turned the doorknob and walked in. She was shocked to find the bedroom a complete mess. The condition had been no better than the last time Troy had checked on Chad. Taylor scrunched her nose and was sure she smelt some hideous odor coming from somewhere in the rom. Her eyes fell onto the bed where she saw a lump under the covers, most likely Chad curled up underneath. Slowly approaching, she stood in front of the bed silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

"Chad…?"

There was a sudden shift in the blankets and from underneath sprouted a shocked Chad. Clearly he had not expected to hear Taylor, let alone see her. And yet there in plain sight, there she was. Their eyes met for a moment and Chad's mouth nearly dropped. "Tay…"

Taylor wasn't sure what her reaction should be first. Chad didn't look like he'd shaved since the last time he was home, his hair was a mess…has he even taken a shower recently? Now that she was finally face to face with him again, she wasn't even sure what to say. If she could go through with what she wanted to say. "You're here…"

"I'm sorry…I…I didn't know you were coming…total wreck in here…" he stammered slightly.

"I thought you went back to the army." Taylor admitted softly.

Chad looked at her confused. "You'd really think I'd go back there?"

"It's just, after our fight…" she started.

"I couldn't go back there. I mean, yeah I thought about it…but I didn't wanna go. This was the first place I came." He explained. He sighed before continuing, "I screwed up. Big time. I don't blame you for being mad at me."

Taylor shook her head and sat at the edge of the bed. "I'm not mad. Not anymore. And you're not the only one who screwed up. I jumped to conclusions and when you tried to make things right I pushed you away even though I knew it was the worst possible thing to do."

"But I shouldn't have even considered going in the first place just cause one of my friends begged me to." He replied. "I don't even know what happened to Jason, I haven't talked to him since then."

"You felt bad about what he was being pushed to do, it wasn't your fault." Taylor said.

"But it wasn't your fault either." He responded. He looked down, "I miss you and CJ so much."

"We miss you, too." She said softly. "CJ hasn't been to school, I've taken off to work, Tonicka didn't waste any time coming…"

"Your sister?" he quirked an eyebrow.

"Long story." She said. "Look…the bottom line is that I'm sorry. Is there any way you can forgive me and come home?"

Chad shook his head, "I should be the one apologizing. Not just about the whole Jason and army thing. I should have told you where I was but I stupidly didn't and I made you and CJ worry…I should have just left for a little while to cool off and then come back. It was wrong to just butt into Troy's and Gabriella's life and just crash here even if it was for a few months."

"It was only a few days…" she responded.

"Really? It felt longer." Chad said, confused.

"No, just a few days." She repeated.

Chad sighed and shook his head again. "I guess I stink at keeping track of time without you."

"You also suck at good hygiene when I'm not around." Taylor added.

"I know, I know." He nodded. "I was being dumb."

"You kind of were."

"Ok, you don't have to agree with me so easily."

"I know."

Chad looked at her apologetically, "I missed you Tay."

"I missed you, too." She said softly.

Although their reunion had been nothing but staring t each other and talking, there was still obviously one thing missing. And one of them wasn't going to go another second without bringing it up.

"Can we just skip to the part where we kiss now?" Chad asked hopefully.

Taylor giggled. She knew Chad was going to bring that up sooner or later and she was so glad it was sooner than later. "I thought you'd never ask." She smiled and, without wasting another second, she leaned in and kissed him. Chad didn't waste any time before kissing her back, wrapping his arms tight around her as though he'd never let go. But as romantic and heartwarming as it was, Taylor pulled away for a second. "You do know you have to brush your teeth, right? And shave…?"

Chad chuckled and nodded. "After we're done kissing. He smiled, playfully pulling her under the blankets with him.

Taylor crawled in beside him and cuddled up to him, resting her head on his chest. She didn't care where they were or what they did or what Chad smelled like; she was just so happy to have him back. However before they could get too mushy, there was still one thing she needed to tell him. "You know, I never got to tell you my good news…" she stated, sliding her hand under her shirt and lightly tracing her fingers across his abs.

"What's that?" he asked curiously, playing with the curls of her hair a bit.

"Well when I went to the doctor for my checkup, he told me something…" she started.

"Oh no, it's not about me going is it?" Chad complained, leaning his head back on the pillow.

"No, not about you going." Taylor responded climbing on top of him. "But it is about us."

Chad raised an eyebrow curiously as he noticed a smile growing across Taylor's face. Clearly it had to be something good or else she wouldn't look so happy. "If he's not giving us free lollipops for life then I give up."

Taylor giggled and shook her head. Chad could be so clueless sometimes and yet it was one of the many reasons she loved him. She leaned in and softly kissed him again, savoring the feel of his soft lips against hers even with a five o'clock shadow. And even though Chad wanted to know what the good news was, he didn't let Taylor pull away from him. He opened his lips allowing her access to his mouth and pulled her closer onto him not once giving her the chance to escape. He moved one of his hands through her hair and rubbed the other one around her back as he felt Taylor's hands exploring his body once again, a feeling he had so desperately been missing. The longer they went on kissing, the less either of them wanted to pull away whether it was for air or talking. Everything that they had argued about quickly left their minds as they focused on each other, covering the territory they had called their own. Chad wined as he felt Taylor pull away; she lifted his shirt off and tossed it to the side, then pressed her forehead against hers. She smiled lovingly and looked into his eyes before whispering in a soft voice, "We're going to have a baby."

Most parents hearing that would do something crazy like scream or jump for joy. But not Chad. In this moment he was so glad to have Taylor back, so glad to have his family back. And now knowing that and realizing they were going to be expanding their family, it only made him happier. He didn't need to act overjoyed or sound like the happiest man on the planet. His eyes and the look on his face said it all. Sometimes showing someone how thrilled they were meant a whole lot more than telling them. Smiling widely and warmly he kissed her again, this time with all the love and passion that he had. He allowed his hands to slide under the back of her shirt, caressing her body and their kiss quickly heated. As a battle for control between their tongues ensued Chad's hands moved further up her back, pulling her shirt up further in the process. He could feel Taylor's nails slowly digging into his body as an attempt to win over control. Chad playfully bit her tongue and as she retreated, he tugged her shirt right off and flipped her over on the bed landing on top. He automatically tried to go for her neck, wanting to cover her entire body with his kisses, but Taylor wouldn't have any of that. She pulled him right back to her lips and immediately gained access into his mouth as her hands gripped tightly onto his hair refusing to let him pull away for anything. Softly moaning into her mouth, Chad pinned her down to the bed and brushed himself against her, causing a moan in response from Taylor as she then wrapped her legs around him.

Moan after moan, the two of them continued their battle for dominance only to make the atmosphere between them hotter. Chad's hands incessantly moved up and down her body, feeling every one of her curves over and over again. Moving his hands back up her body, he dug them under the sheets and onto her back, undoing her bra strap and ripping it off. Taylor removed one of her hands from his hand and moved it down his back, giving him a playful spank on his bottom only to cause Chad to groan loudly with pleasure. Smiling into the kiss as she pulled on his hair, Taylor spanked him again and Chad groaned once more. It was clear who was in control of this battle and neither of them was letting up on their pleasure. Chad pushed himself onto her and Taylor moaned yet again feeling how he was against her. Determined to stay in control Taylor let go of Chad and moved her hands down his body, quickly undoing his pants. She removed her legs from around him to pull them off, but Chad wasn't going to let her get away with that so easily. He was supposed to be the one showing how happy he was and how much he loved her and it was time for him to take control of their heated battle. Playfully grabbing her legs and smirking into their ongoing kiss, he pulled her legs back around him as Taylor struggled to get his pants off. She shook and squirmed underneath him, practically pushing the blankets off the bed in the process and yet Chad wouldn't budge. When it became clear to her that Chad was not giving up Taylor instead slid her hands under his now loose pants and Chad moaned as he felt her hands explore his lower body. Two could play at that game, he decided, moving her hands off her legs to pull off her pants. He barely managed to pull them down, as Taylor now refused to remove her legs from his waist. Chad pulled and whined into the kiss and now Taylor was not giving in. Instead Chad moved his hands down and began rubbing her inner thigh, impatiently waiting for Taylor to moan with pleasure. Yet the longer they went pleasuring each other as they were, the less they could wait. As if they were thinking perfectly in sync, Taylor removed her legs to pull off his pants just as Chad tugged hers off. It wasn't long after that before their final pieces of clothing were removed and they were quickly in their own world, completely lost inside of each other and making the room an even bigger mess than it already was. In the midst of all their loving neither had realized how close it was to the Boltons' return. The only sounds they heard were the sounds of their moans pounding onto the bed.

So when the Boltons did come home and Troy went upstairs to see how they were doing, all he had to do was open the door and take one look inside for a millisecond before slamming it and rushing back downstairs to a confused Gabriella on the couch and the two children sitting on the carpet rolling a ball back and forth. Gabriella looked at her husband confused, wondering what he could have seen that had gotten him so worked up. Needless to say her naivety was not a trait she had lost. "Troy what happened?"

"Don't go upstairs!" he gasped right away before running off into the room.

Confused, little CJ looked at Charity and then at Gabriella. "Why does Uncle Troy look like he sawed a ghostie?"

* * *

WOW! Ok! so I finally got over my laziness during my vacation to post this chapter! Ok, and type it. It did not turn out as long as I wanted it to, but then again a chapter doesn't have to be long to be good. I don't know what a chapter has to do to be good, cause right now it's 1 am in the morning so I'm probably a tad more cuckoo bananas than usual. Ok, so I got a little distracted when I typed this up. When I started I was wtching a new episode of Sonny with a Chance which is why it was in here...I think I blame one of my friends for getting me addicted to the show like my parents got me addicted to American Idol and my other friend got me addicted to Teen Mom...besides sometimes Sonny with a Chance has some really funny stuff. I liked the part where they said Chad ran like a girl over and over...and the whole 'Chad Chad Chaddy Chad Chad' song type thing is really catchy. Ok sorry I'm getting off topic. So the basic idea of this chapter was to give Chaylor their reunion...a really heated reunion cause really who doesn't expect these two to have a heated reunion? I was trying to imagine how it would happen as I typed it but even then there were some distractions. What can you do, right? And at the end...I dunno, I thought maybe there'd be a few laughs if Troy walked in on them. Anyone think that was funny? Just checking. And now i'm blabbing aren't I? Alright, I'll wrap it up then. There's not much to this story left, definitely a couple of chapters, and I actually do wanna get this story done soon and I'm hoping within the next few days even though I start school this week I can get to work on the next chapter. So I'm gonna set a definitely deadline for me to be done with this story: if I have 3 chapters or less to type (cause as of right now there's a minimum of 2) then I will have it done before my birthday (which is in midFebruary so that should give time to get used to my new schedule and everything). And if I don't have an epilogue or something on this story that says Complete by then...will someone please send me a PM (angry or not, it's your chocie)? Ok, I'm done blabbing now. Good night and happy January!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM.

* * *

"That is one healthy looking baby." The doctor observed.

It had barely been a couple of weeks since Chad came home and no sooner than that did they have an appointment scheduled to check on their little addition. The doctor had first examined Taylor and now was showing them the progress of the baby on the monitor. CJ climbed up and looked at the screen.

"That doesn't look like no baby. It's too tiny like." He shook his head.

The doctor chuckled. "That's because it's only a few months along. It still has to grow big and strong."

"So when do you think the due date is?" Chad inquired.

"I would say about six months." He responded, turning off the monitor. "You've still got plenty of time to prepare."

"So how soon should we book the next appointment? When do we find out if it's a boy or girl?" Chad asked.

The doctor laughed. "It's been a while since you've been a new daddy huh?"

"Yeah…kinda." Chad admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry. Once you understand what a baby needs, there'll be no problems." The doctor told him.

"And don't worry, honey," Taylor added as she pulled her shirt down and got up, "I'll teach you how to change a diaper."

"I could change a diaper if I wanted to." Chad muttered, following her and CJ out.

"Can the baby sleep in my room?" CJ asked eagerly as his parents worked out next month's appointment.

"No, CJ. The baby's going to be sleeping in a different room. You don't want it to wake you up in the middle of the night when it's crying." Taylor told him.

"But I can be real good." CJ promised. "I'll help feed it and take care of it…"

"That's wonderful, but a baby isn't a puppy." She shook her head.

"Besides you're gonna be a big role model to your little brother or sister." Chad added picking him up. "That'll be plenty."

"But I wanna do more." He complained.

"You could always be the one to change a dirty diaper." Chad joked.

"Ew, those are stinky." He shook his head. "I just wanna play."

"Then how about we go home and you can play some basketball in the backyard." Taylor suggested with a smile. The three of them made their way out to the parking lot and into their car, driving home. CJ didn't waste any time running into the backyard with his basketball once they got home. Taylor watched him from the back door as Chad looked at the few pictures they got from the sonogram.

"I can't tell who it looks like." He said confused as he turned one of the pictures in every which way.

Taylor turned to him and giggled. "It's a little too early to tell, don't you think? After all, you're the one who wanted the pictures as soon as possible."

Chad shrugged his shoulders and smiled, "I just wanted to have pictures every step of the way."

"Well let me run to the bathroom and I'll find a new photo album to put them into for the baby." Taylor smiled before going down the hall.

Chad smiled to her and looked back down at the pictures. Sure, now the baby looked so small and perhaps insignificant but it was so much more to him. He had missed so much with CJ; there wasn't a thing he wanted to miss out on with the new baby. Briefly taking his eyes off of the pictures, Chad looked around the living room and towards the book case. He quickly spotted a photo album and walked over to it. Pulling it off the shelf, he instantly recognized it as CJ's baby book. Chad remembered when they originally bought the book; they had found out the month before they were going to have CJ and were starting to buy everything they needed to be prepared. The first thing they thought of was a baby book, eagerly thinking about tracking every part of the process of their child growing up and the new adventures they'd have as a family. Unfortunately, as Chad was drafted shortly after, he never got to experience any of that. He had to miss out on what he felt was everything.

Placing the sonogram pictures down on the table and sitting on the couch, Chad opened up the baby book. It started on the first page with CJ's full name decorated in big blue letters. Numerous pictures of him as a newborn followed, either having him alone in the photos or Taylor with him. Chad's smile slowly faded as he thought about that time, the time when he was supposed to be there and instead was stuck in a foreign country as some helpless hostage. He should have been there holding CJ at the hospital, watching him being born and cutting the umbilical cord. But he wasn't. Shaking his head, Chad turned the page and looked on through the pictures. They were all of CJ growing up, having the normal experiences most parents were around to see. There were when he started to crawl, his first steps, his first haircut, bike, day of school…. And Chad missed it all. He sighed and slowly closed the book. He just couldn't stand to look at anymore knowing he should have been there. Despite the fact that he knew it wasn't his fault that just didn't stop the guilty feeling.

Taylor walked in from behind him, eying the baby book in his lap. She looked back at Chad, and then quietly slipped onto the couch next to him. "Are you ok?" she asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded even though they both knew he was lying.

"I'm serious." She responded, picking up the book from his lap.

Chad shook his head. "I guess maybe I just don't know if I'm ready to be a dad again." He said, though a bit uncertain.

"Try that again." Taylor said.

"I haven't been there for anything since CJ was born. How am I supposed to experience everything with a baby when I was never even able to the first time? I missed everything." He replied.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for something that was never your fault." She shook her head. "I understand and CJ understands. The important thing is that you're here now and you're not going anywhere. We're together, both working, have a stable life, are getting ready for a new baby, have great friends supporting us, and if I do say myself, doing a fantastic job with one little boy."

"You say all that so easily, like it's not a big deal." Chad said.

"Because it isn't." Taylor told him. "The past is history, the future is a mystery, and the present is now."

Chad raised an eyebrow, "And how much of that did you get from a TV show?"

"My point is, it doesn't always matter what happened in the past and no one knows what's going to happen in the future, and what's most important is experiencing the now with the people you care about the most." She explained.

A small smile came across his face. "You always seem to know what to say, you know that?"

"I know." Taylor smiled. "And if it's all the same…" she took the book and turned to the last page, revealing nothing but an empty slot. Every other spot in the book was filled with memories of baby CJ, not missing a speck of detail. But the last page all the way in the book had absolutely nothing.

Chad stared at it blankly before looking at Taylor. "What is it?"

"The last page of CJ's baby book. I never filled it in." she answered. "Something just told me not to, that there was something worth waiting for to put in. And now I'm glad I waited, because I know what's meant to go in it." Taylor smiled and gently placed the book down, wrapping her arms around Chad and resting her head on his shoulder. "What's meant to go in there is a picture of all three of us. Even though the rest of the book is all me and CJ, there was always that one spot left for you. Even though I knew what I was told, I still held onto that hope you'd come back somehow. And you did. Memories can't be made up or remade, but more can always be made."

As simple as it sounded, hearing her say all that meant a lot to Chad. He never thought about any of that before, and it was just like Taylor to always put something in perspective for him. She was right about everything; the time he was away didn't diminish his quality as a father, and it sure as heck didn't mean he was going anywhere in the future. His place was here with his family, and even with one little photo of the three of them in the last slot of the baby book, there would without a doubt be a lot more family photo albums to fill out in the future. It was time to stop feeling sorry and pity himself and move on. Chad smiled warmly and wrapped his arms tight around Taylor, thinking about everything that had happened to them and what was waiting just beyond the horizon.

And he wouldn't change any of it for anything in the world.

* * *

I missed my deadline didn't I? DX I blame laziness and school. Anyway, I started this chapter yesterday with the intention of writing the final chapter today, but it didn't exactly turn out that way. I tried to get this done today and shortly write the final chapter afterwards, but I didn't have the time. I mean, technically I have the time now but I know I should be using the rest of my birthday to finish homework when I don't think I'll be able to tomorrow. so the best thing to do is to see what happens tonight, and if I can get anything done with this story by tomorrow. Cause once this story is done, it's Princess and the Frog. Actually, when I was watching HSM and HSM2 on Disney Channel last week I had a brainstorm about rewriting the deleted Chaylor HSM scenes. I might do that, and I hope I get the chance to because who else thinks we need tons more Chaylor stories on here? I do. Anyway, onto this chapter. The only problem i had with this was how to write it because it was always gonna be towards the end. It was gonna be longer and more descriptive, but apparently the chapter didn't like that idea too much so that's why it's the way it is. -shrugs- So for those of you who celebrate Valentines Day as a holiday, I'm gonna let you get back to that and I'm gonna try and finish my homework without getting sitracted by finishing this story...or TV...or Pokémon..or a toy chiauhua that sings La Bamba. Have a good night, everyone, and the next time I miss a deadlone...PLEASE someone virtually shoot me? Thank you.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own HSM

* * *

The months seemed to be passing by all too quickly. Baby furniture was being delivered left and right and baby clothes were piling up at the Danforth household. It wasn't long before the third trimester began and everything had to be set up. Even though they still had plenty they needed there was still so much to do. The nursery had to painted, the crib had to be put together, names had to be picked out…and with Chad and Taylor wanting to keep the sex of their baby a surprise until it was born, that was going to make everything harder. The furniture was pretty neutral in design, nothing too girlie or boyish, and the baby toys they had bought could suit either gender. But as far as painting the room and coming up with names went, everything was far more difficult.

"Ok so for boy's names we've got Ethan, Michael, Justin, Dale, Riley, Rylon…" Chad began reading off their list of baby names.

"I hate those names." Taylor sighed.

"Me, too." CJ agreed, nodding. "How bout Rover?"

Chad shook his head, "That's a doggy name. We're trying to think of names for baby boys and girls."

"Candy!" CJ exclaimed.

"Well that could make a nice girl's name…" Chad started.

"No, I mean I want candy." CJ responded.

"Candy sounds good right about now. Can I have a pickle flavored lollipop?" Taylor asked.

Chad shook his head. He hated it when she had weird food cravings. "You can have a pickle on a stick." He offered.

"Fine." Taylor pouted folding her arms.

Chad got up from the kitchen table and went over to the fridge.

"What color are we gonna paint the room?" CJ wondered.

"We're not sure yet." Chad admitted. He took a pickle from the jar in the fridge and put it on a toothpick, then handed it to Taylor. "We have to keep it neutral so we can't use pick or blue."

"We could use a light green." Taylor suggested as she began to eat.

"But it can't be too bright." Chad shook his head. "What about yellow?"

"No good," Taylor answered, "CJ's room was yellow when he was a baby. He cried so much."

CJ shrugged his shoulders. "I no like the color yellow."

"Maybe we could use two colors." Chad suggested. "Like polka dots on a solid wall or something. Or wallpaper."

"We should stick with the paint. We could do it ourselves and don't need a carpenter to put it up." Taylor said.

"How bout green and blue? They look real goods together." CJ grinned.

"But we probably shouldn't use blue if it's a girl." Chad said.

"And we shouldn't use purple and green together. I don't like that combination." Taylor said.

"Really? I think they look good together." Chad raised an eyebrow.

"I don't want green and purple!" Taylor pouted, allowing her constant mood swings to resurface.

"Ok, no green and purple." Chad quickly agreed. "What about purple and blue? If we pick two really light shades that could work."

"Make it blue dots on the wall!" CJ exclaimed.

"I like that idea." Taylor said.

"Let's do it." Chad nodded. "I'll run to Home Depot and pick up some color swatches we can look at." He got up from the kitchen table and went to grab his wallet and keys. "I'll be back in a half hour. See you soon." He kissed Taylor's cheek and rubbed CJ's head before heading out.

CJ turned to his mother once Chad left. "Can I help paint the room?"

"Of course you can." Taylor smiled. She took another bite of her pickle, "Do you think you could also get Mommy the whipped cream?"

"Ok." CJ smiled hopping down from the chair and going to the fridge. As he took out the can of whipped cream and handed it to Taylor, the phone rang. Taylor answered the phone as she began pouring the whipped cream on.

"Hey Gabriella." She answered.

"Hey Tay." Gabriella greeted from the other end. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling like I'm about to eat a pickle on a stick with whipped cream." Taylor responded before continuing to eat.

Gabriella bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm…very happy for you. Anyway…I wanted to know when was good for your baby shower."

"The baby's due in about three months." Taylor explained. "We still have to paint the room, look at names, put the crib together…"

"Sounds like a perfect time to make a list of everything you need." Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "Do you know what you're having?"

"We're keeping it a secret. We want it to be a surprise." Taylor said.

"So we should just look for baby shirts and paints, right?" Gabriella asked.

"Probably some more toys would be good too." Taylor replied.

CJ tugged on Taylor's sleeve. "Can I get something, too?" he asked hopefully.

Taylor smiled at him before continuing to talk to Gabriella. "And something for the wonderful big brother."

"Of course." Gabriella giggled. "Nothing but the best. So when's the due date?"

"Three months from last week." Taylor answered. "It's going to be a fall baby."

"How adorable!" Gabriella squealed.

"I know, I can't wait." Taylor smiled. "I hate eating pickles."

Gabriella shrugged, "Better than eating chalk right?"

"Actually that sounds pretty good." Taylor responded.

"Forget I said anything." She said quickly. "So um…what day did you say was good for the baby shower?"

"I didn't." Taylor said. She thought for a minute, "It's due sometime in November. So let's make it the first weekend."

"Awesome." Gabriella smiled. "I'll spread the word. Talk to you later Tay."

"Bye Gabs." Taylor smiled before hanging up.

CJ looked up at Taylor. "After we paint the baby's room we gots to buy me new school supplies."

"Of course, sweetie." Taylor nodded. "We'll buy you all new school books and pencils and a new backpack. Hopefully next year will go better than last year."

"Yeah, those bullies was awful mean." CJ folded his arms.

"And we're going to make sure it never happens again." Taylor rubbed his head.

"What never happens again?" Chad asked, walking back into the house with light purple and blue swatches.

"Just making sure that there will be no more bully problems when CJ goes back to school." Taylor told him.

"Hey if it does, I'll pull the ghost act on them." Chad chuckled.

"Cool!" CJ exclaimed.

"So did you find any good colors?" Taylor wondered.

Chad nodded and set the swatches out on the table. They spent about an hour going through all the colors, seeing which ones worked best together and which ones weren't going to happen. It didn't take long after that to narrow it down.

"Ok so which blue do we like best?" Chad asked.

"That one." CJ said, pointing to one.

"I like it as well. It's soft and light…perfect for a baby room." Taylor agreed.

"Chine blue it is." Chad nodded, moving it to the front. "What about the purples? I like the lavender."

"How does it look next to the blue?" Taylor asked.

Chad moved the two swatches next to each other and nodded. "It's a perfect fit. We can start painting next weekend."

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After painting the nursery was complete and the family focused on getting CJ ready for his next year of school, preparations for setting up the nursery began. Chad started working on putting the crib together while Troy and a good friend of theirs Zeke Baylor moved the furniture around.

"Does this dresser go next to the window or against the wall?" Zeke asked once they moved in the rocking chair.

Taylor glanced around the room, "The crib's going to go near the window, I think. The dresser also has the diaper changing station on it. Put it near the closet on this side."

Gabriella looked at Taylor as the boys moved the dresser, "You're going to put the crib near the window?"

"Of course." Taylor nodded. "During the summer there will be a nice breeze blowing in. The baby will love it."

"You sure it won't get cold or anything?" Gabriella wondered.

Taylor shook her head. She knew that she and Gabriella had different parenting methods sometimes, but she knew what she was doing. "I'm positive. The nursery's right across the hall from CJ's room and next to mine and Chad's room. If anything happens I'm sure we'll be running right in."

Gabriella nodded. "You're right. So, how's Chad doing with the crib?"

"He's setting it up in our room. He'll move it in here once it's all done. CJ and Charity are watching him." Taylor said.

Gabriella giggled. "Those two are so easily amused."

"Hey Tay, how does this look?" Troy asked pointing to the dresser.

Taylor glanced at the furniture. "Looks great, guys. Thanks for the help."

"No problem. We're happy to." Troy said. "You want us to set some of the stuffed animals on the shelves?"

"That'd be great." Taylor nodded. "Chad and I can hang up the clothes in the closet and put the rest in the drawers."

"Awesome." Zeke said gathering some of the toys. "Did you two decide on any names yet?"

"Not yet." Taylor shook her head. "We've still got a couple of months left. And we have to focus on CJ starting school."

"Speaking of the kids, we should probably put them down for a nap soon." Gabriella said.

"I'll go take care of it." Taylor said.

"Are you sure?" Gabriella asked. "You really should rest."

"No, it's fine. I'll put them to sleep and see how Chad's doing with the crib." Taylor said before heading out of the nursery. She walked into her and Chad's bedroom. She could see him intently working on the crib with CJ and Charity eagerly looking over his shoulder watching his every movement. Taylor lightly giggled before walking over. "Having fun in here?"

"Tons of fun. Daddy works good." CJ smiled.

"Yeah, this crib's gonna be humungous!" Charity exclaimed.

"And it's not even done yet." Chad chuckled.

"Well the kids will have to wait to see it until it is done. It's naptime." Taylor said.

"Do we have to?" Charity complained.

"Yes, you do. Mommy's orders." Taylor nodded. "CJ, why don't you take Charity to your room? We'll wake you two up when the nursery's done."

"Ok Mama." CJ nodded. He got up and went to his room with Charity reluctantly following behind.

Taylor sat down at the edge of the bed watching Chad continuing to work. "Looks like it's coming along well." She observed, as Chad had already finished putting the edges together.

"Yeah." He chuckled lightly. "Can't wait to get the mattress in here."

"Just think, it won't be long until there's a baby in there either." Taylor stated.

"Already?" Chad asked looking up at her. "Where did these months go?"

"Out the window." She giggled. "Think we're ready?"

"We were so born ready." Chad joked. "We still haven't even decided on names yet."

"Maybe we should see if we can survive the baby shower first." Taylor suggested. "Gabriella already warned me that she and Troy are going to buy us so many baby supplies we'll be sick of them."

"They're just jealous we reproduce quicker than they can." Chad laughed.

"Just watch, they'll have baby number four by the time they're forty-five." Taylor giggled. "But I'm letting you know, after this one I'm not having any more babies for a while."

Chad grinned and raised an eyebrow on her. "You act like you blame this on me. I thought it takes two to tango."

"It does. I just think you can be so much more…active than I can." Taylor giggled.

"Don't you be starting me," Chad teased playfully getting up, "remember we have guests in the house."

Taylor smiled and slowly stood up, playfully moving Chad back down to work on the crib. "Then my hormones had better wait until they leave. I'll be waiting until then."

Chad smiled as he watched her walk back into the nursery. He looked back to the crib as he began putting some more of the pieces together. "Your brother should really be keeping a good eye on you, little guy…your mom and I are gonna be two busy, busy parents…."

* * *

Yeah I know, I haven't updated in a long time. I'm lazy, I have school, I get easily distracted...yeah, I've got a lot of excuses. Right now I'm also blaming the cold I've had over spring break so instead of doing my homework like a good student I'm trying to fight the cold by typing 2 chapters. Last chapter one of the reviews requested seeing the journey to the new Danforth baby, which was not my original idea. So what I did, is I divided it into two chapters and wrote them last night and today so hopefully they came out decent enough. That means after the next chapter there will be one more chapter before I start my next story, because if there's more than one more chapter then I may never get this story finished. XD So I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and enjoy the next one too!


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: i do not own anything HSM related

* * *

"So CJ are you ready for your first day of school this year?" Chad asked as he and Taylor drove CJ to the elementary school an early September morning.

CJ looked out the window as they approached the school. He pulled his knees to his chest and shook his head. "Maybe I not ready this year. Can we comes back later?"

"CJ there's nothing to worry about. This year's going to be so much better." Taylor promised. "Besides, there's only two months until the baby comes. You have to be big and strong for your new brother or sister."

"Can't I be big and strong some other time?" CJ asked.

"Not this year, you can't." Chad responded. "Don't worry, there's not gonna be any bullies to bother you this time. I'll make sure of it."

CJ folded his arms. "Why do we gets all the bullying? Girls are so lucky."

"No, girls sometimes have it worse. They get emotionally bullied. The way other kids make fun of them can scar them for life." Taylor noted.

"Sounds better than getting beat up." CJ muttered.

"You're not gonna get beat up." Chad promised parking the car. As he undid his seat belt, Chad caught sight of Dick, the parent of the kid who started it all. Chad eyed him briefly and slowly opened the car door. "I'll be right back." Chad approached the parent and child duo; stopping just behind them he folded his arms. "What are you two doing back here?"

Dick rolled his eyes and turned to Chad. "If you must know, my kid goes to school here. Got a problem with that?"

"Oh no, not at all." Chad shook his head. "I just thought after all the problems your kid caused to mine, he might have gotten expelled or something."

"Please, I ain't no stupid head." The kid replied.

"Yeah, well you're sure as heck no Einstein." Chad muttered to himself.

"What's your problem anyway, Curlytop?" Dick questioned. "Scared of what I'll do to you this year?"

Chad put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I'm just trying to make sure there's no trouble this time around."

"Well the egg's on your face," Dick's boy laughed, "I'm not even in that loser's grade this year!"

Chad smirked. "Held back, huh? Sorry kid, but sounds like you got what you deserved."

Dick picked up his kid and walked away. "You're lucky I ain't reporting you to the principal."

"What was that about?" Taylor asked, going over to Chad with CJ.

Chad shook his head and turned to them. "Just trying to make sure there'd be no trouble. The kid got held back so he won't be in CJ's class."

"That's perfect," Taylor smiled, "and all the grades have lunch at different times so he'll never have to deal with him."

"Feel better about starting school now?" Chad asked his son.

"Um…maybe after lunch time." CJ said quickly.

"That's not going to happen. School's about to start." Taylor observed as the other kids entered the building. She handed him his backpack, "You be good today ok sweetie? I'll pick you up when school is over. We're going to Troy and Gabriella's."

"I'll have to meet you guys there after work. I'm working till five tonight." Chad said.

"Can we go there now?" CJ asked.

"After school." Taylor answered. "Hurry up or you're going to be late."

"I no wanna be late!" CJ gasped. He ran up to the school and followed the other kids inside. Easily catching up with his new classmates, CJ followed them into their classroom. He looked for his name on the desks; once he found it he took his seat and looked at the three other kids at his table. CJ held his backpack close to him on his lap, a little shy of what to say to them. It was especially hard since he recognized one of the boys as one who gave him a hard time last year. Luckily, the teacher entered the classroom moments later and wrote her name on the board.

"Good morning class," she greeted softly, "I'm Ms. Honeysuckle and I'll be your teacher for this year. I hope you all found your seats easily and made yourselves at home. Unless you need to sit closer to the chalkboard, you will be sitting with three of your classmates all year. So why don't you take this time to introduce yourself to your classmates and get to know each other?"

CJ looked to the two boys and one girl at his table. But he only sunk into his seat, too shy to speak to them. Luckily the blond haired girl actively spoke.

"Hi! I'm Amberly Evans! I like to eat chocolate even though I'm not supposed to cause it makes me real hyper!" she spoke, smiling widely. She pulled a couple of Hershey kisses from her jacket pocket and offered them to her classmates. "Want some chocolates? They're real yummy!"

"No, no, Amberly. No chocolates for you today." Ms. Honeysuckle said, quickly taking the candy away from the little girl, leaving her folding her arms and pouting.

"I…I'm Chester." The rather obese boy sitting across from Amberly said quietly. "You probably don't wanna get too close to me. I get really…really…ACHOO!" The three kids jumped back as Chester sneezed before he finished, "…sick easily."

"I'm Derek." The other boy said. "My mom and I like to run a lot." He, Amberly, and Chester then looked to CJ waiting for him to speak.

"Um…hi." CJ introduced himself quietly. "I'm CJ. I likes to play basketball."

Derek raised an eyebrow at him. "Hey, I member you. You were that kid me and some other guys used to pick on last year."

"Oh..." CJ responded, a little more afraid now, "…I'm sorry."

"Nah, I should be sorry." Derek replied. "Ever since my mom found out what happened, she hasn't let me hung out with those guys. And she grounded me for like tons of day over the summer. I won't give you any junk this year."

"Alright, now if everyone's gotten acquainted with their new friends let's go over our ABC's." Ms. Honeysuckle said. "Who can tell me what comes after C?"

"Ooooh, I know, I know!" Amberly eagerly raised her hand. "D!"

"That's right," the teacher smiled, "and who can give me some words that start with the letter D?"

"Doggy!" CJ called.

"Dinosaur!" Derek added.

"Derek! Derek starts with D!" Amberly added.

"Disintegrations!" Chester answered, which received some strange looks from the class. "Well it does…" he said softly.

"Ok then…" the teacher said slowly before moving on, "now let's make sure we know all of our ABC's. Everybody sing the alphabet. A B C D E F G…"

"H I J K L M N O P!" the class sang along. "Q R S T U V W X Y Z!"

After going over more of the letters and learning some basic addition, the school day seemed to go by pretty quickly. By the time the final bell rang, CJ was leaving school with his new friends.

"So what are you guys doin today?" Derek asked.

"I got a doctor's appointment." Chester sniffed. "They think I got the flu." As he pulled out a tissue and blew his nose, the three of them took a giant step back.

"I just want some more chocolates." Amberly said.

"I gets to go to my friend's house." CJ said.

"Coolness." Derek said before heading to his mom's car. "See you guys tomorrow."

As Amberly and Chester departed as well, CJ sat Taylor pull up in front of the school. He walked up to the car and hopped in. "Hi Mama."

"Hey honey." Taylor smiled. "How was school?"

"It was good. I mades new friends today." CJ said strapping in his seatbelt.

"That's great." Taylor smiled as they started driving. "I told you everything would be alright."

"I know." CJ said. "School's not so bad after all. So what we gonna do at Uncle Troy and Auntie Gabi's?"

"I think we're going to eat dinner there and hang out." Taylor answered. "You get to see Charity, too. She had her first day of school today as well."

"Think she had fun, too?" CJ asked.

"We'll find out." Taylor responded, pulling to the Bolton household. She parked the car and helped CJ out of the back seat. They went up to the door and knocked but all they heard was a 'come in'. They walked inside only to see the lights out and no one around. "Hello?" Taylor called.

Seconds later, everyone jumped out and turned on the lights, revealing balloons, streamers, and numerous baby decorations. "Surprise! Happy baby shower!" they exclaimed.

"Baby shower?" Taylor gasped. She turned to Gabriella, who happily ran up and hugged her. "Gabs, this wasn't supposed to be for another two months."

"And that's what made it a surprise." Gabriella smiled. She moved Taylor over to a chair and sat her down. "Come on, it's present time. See all the stuff everyone got for your baby."

"Cool! We're opening presents!" CJ exclaimed, jumping onto the couch.

"Shouldn't we wait for Chad to get here?" Taylor wondered.

"We can fill him in when he gets here." Troy said. "Don't worry, he won't be missing anything. So who's gift do you wanna open first?"

"Open my gift, sis!" Tonicka exclaimed, forcing her way through the crowd over to Taylor. She dropped a rather large wrapped box onto the floor. "I hope you like it, baby sister." She said sweetly.

"Wow.." Taylor breathed, "Tonicka you didn't have to go to so much trouble."

"Anything for my favorite sister." She smiled. "Come on, open it!"

Taylor sighed and began tearing away at the wrapping paper. Once she made it through to the box, she lifted to top and pulled out what was inside. "A baby swing…a pack of pacifiers…a toy xylophone…"

"There's also a moose baby blanket at the bottom." Tonicka smiled.

Taylor raised an eyebrow at her sister. "A moose baby blanket?"

Tonicka shrugged her shoulders, "They were out of ducks."

Taylor giggled and shook her head. "Thank you, Tonicka. This was really sweet."

"I know." Tonicka smiled. She then pulled out a little gift from her purse. "And something for my favorite nephew." She said, handing it to CJ.

CJ took the box and opened it. He was disappointed to pull out a pair of white socks. "Socks?"

"Hey, I'm not perfect." Tonicka shook her head. "They were the best I could find on such short notice."

"Thanks Aunt Tawni." CJ signed, putting the socks down on the couch.

Tonicka looked at her disappointed nephew. She then glanced at Taylor, who gave her an expectant look. Tonicka sighed and gave in. "Alright, I'll book an extra day at the hotel and take you to a movie this weekend."

"Thank you Auntie Tawni." CJ smiled, hugging her.

"Alright, alright," Zeke chuckled handing Taylor his gift. "Open mine next."

Taylor smiled and unwrapped Zeke's present. She pulled out a couple of baby pajamas. "These are so cute." She smiled, looking at the pink and blue footie pajamas.

Zeke shrugged his shoulders. "It was two for one. I thought it'd be perfect for either gender."

"Thanks Zeke." Taylor replied.

After a couple of hours of opening gifts, Chad walked in the door. He looked around the living room confused. "I missed dinner, didn't I?"

"Nah man." Troy laughed. "It's a surprise baby shower. Tay already opened a ton of gifts."

"Without me?" Chad gasped, pretending to sound insulted.

"Troy and Gabriella insisted." Taylor giggled. "Why don't you open their gift?"

"Alright." Chad smiled as he sat down next to Taylor. "Where's the gift?"

Troy opened their closet and pulled out not one, but five gifts. Chad's and Taylor's eyes widened at the presents. "Wow…you guys really went all out." Chad said.

"We just wanted to give you guys some awesome stuff." Troy shrugged his shoulders. "Too much?"

"No…not at all." Taylor responded.

Chad took one of the gifts and opened it, followed shortly by the others. He opened up to find a pillow, a stuffed tiger, a teething ring, shoes, a large pack of diapers, and a Winnie the Pooh bottle along with a gift card to Babies R Us.

"That's a lots of stuff." CJ noticed.

"Yeah it is…" Chad agreed. "I don't know what to say."

"We say thank you to our friends, honey." Taylor reminded him.

"I knew that." He muttered.

Gabriella giggled. "You're welcome."

"We also got something for CJ." Troy said. He went to the closet and reached into the back for another present. He gave it to CJ who then opened it.

"Cool! A bike helmet!" he exclaimed.

"Look what's inside." Troy said.

CJ pulled out an envelope from the helmet and opened it. He raised an eyebrow wondering what it was.

"Let's see, CJ." Taylor said.

CJ nodded and handed it to his mom.

"Another gift card?" Taylor gasped.

"It's for his first bike. He should be getting one soon, right?" Troy replied.

"Yeah, that was gonna be his Christmas present." Chad said. "Guess not anymore."

"What do you say to Uncle Troy and Aunt Gabriella?" Taylor asked CJ.

"Thank you." CJ smiled, hugging the two of them.

"So what'd I really miss today?" Chad asked Taylor.

"Nothing at all." Taylor smiled resting her head on his shoulder. "We got baby gifts from our friends and family, we're all here together…. Everything's perfect."

* * *

And that is the second chapter...and probably last chapter for the day. I thought it'd be nice to have a little bit more focus on CJ this chapter, give him at least half a chapter all to himself. And hey, why not have an early baby shower? And right now I am sneezing my head off so if I know what's good for me I'll quit while I'm ahead, get over this cold ASAP, finish this story (and my homework), and get started on my next story. I'd like to thank everyone in advance for reading and reviewing, and I'm especially happy that this might be my second story to reach 100 reviews so...well I just think that's a really good accomplishment for a Chaylor story since everything seems to be about Troy and Gabriella. XD So thank you again everybody, I'll say even more thank you's at the end of the next and last chapter. Hope you all enjoyed reading, and keep an eye out for the final chapter! (=


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own High School Musical

* * *

"So what is everyone doing during their break this weekend?" CJ's substitute teacher asked the class. With only one day until Thanksgiving break and their usual teacher already gone for the break the class was eagerly awaiting the day's end. CJ sat beside Amberly and Derek, looking back and forth between the teacher and the clock to see how much longer the wait would be.

"My auntie's coming to visit all the way from New York City!" Amberly exclaimed. "She's the one who buys me all these pretty pink dresses."

"That's nothing." Derek laughed. "My big sister's coming home from Ohio. And she's been at a fancy boarding school there for the past three years."

"Those both sound very exciting. I'm sure there's a big feast involved for your families as well." The teacher said. "What about you, CJ? Are you doing anything special this holiday break?"

"I'm apposed to get a new brother or sister." CJ answered with a smile. "I even helped set up the nursery."

"Now that sounds like a wonderful way to start the holidays." The teacher smiled. "So since you were already assigned your homework for the break yesterday, I'm going to give you the rest of the day to get started on it. Or you can make decorations for your family. There's brown construction paper in the back along with plenty of crayons, glittery, and glue. But please don't throw anything at each other."

With the class interrupting in cheers, everyone ran to pretty much do anything they desired. CJ remained at his desk to get started on some of his homework, knowing that the sooner he got it done the more time he'd have over the weekend to have fun.

"Yo CJ, I'm gonna draw a turkey for Chester and give it to him after school. Maybe he got over that cold he got the other day. Wanna help?" Derek asked.

"Ok." CJ smiled, jumping out of his seat and following Derek to the arts and crafts. Though it didn't take them long to get started, one of the teachers working in the attendance office walked in shortly afterwards. "I'm looking for CJ?" she asked.

Hearing his name, CJ got up and walked to the front of the room. "What's goin on?"

"Your father just called from the hospital. Apparently you're about to have a new brother or sister." She answered.

"But I thought they wasn't comin till later." CJ replied.

"No dear, they're ready to come now." The lady responded.

Hearing this, the teacher walked over. "Is he coming to pick CJ up?"

"I'm afraid he can't, but he's trying to get someone to come here." She shook her head.

"I can bring him." Amberly said, rushing over. "I can call my daddy. He'll come and take us to the hopsicle."

"Hospital." The teacher corrected. "I don't think you can do that in the middle of the school day."

"Sure I can. I gots a cell phone." She shrugged her shoulders before pulling out a bejeweled i phone. Before either of the teachers could even protest, Amberly was already on the phone with her father telling him to pick her and CJ up and bring him to his parents at the hospital.

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"Daddy, I here!" CJ called less than an hour later, running down the hall of the hospital to Chad, who was waiting just outside the delivery room.

"CJ, how'd you get here so fast?" Chad asked curiously, picking his son up.

CJ pointed towards Amberly and her dad, both who were approaching. "My friend broughted me here."

Chad looked up and quirked an eyebrow, the man ahead looking quite familiar to him. In a snappy pink top and nifty cap, Chad quickly caught on to who he was. "Ryan?"

Ryan took a step back, a bit shocked to see it was Chad. "Chad? I didn't know you were CJ's dad. Wow, small world."

"Yeah, long time no see." Chad agreed. The last time he'd seen the co-president of the drama club was high school graduation. But judging from Ryan's somewhat flashy attire, blond hair, and noticeable hat, he hadn't changed one bit. Chad's eyes then shifted to the girl beside him. "And who's this cutie?"

"This is my daughter Amberly." Ryan smiled. "She called right in the middle of the school day telling me to come and get her and CJ and bring them here."

"Thanks a lot, man. I owe you one." Chad replied. "Is her mom coming, too?"

"Nah," Ryan shook his head, "Kelsi's away at a convention in California. She'll be back by Thanksgiving. But I'll be sure to tell her you say hi the next time I talk to her."

"Sounds great." Chad nodded.

CJ looked up at his father, "So's the baby here yet?"

"No, not yet. We're not sure how long the wait will be." Chad answered.

"Try soon." Gabriella said, poking her head out from the doors. She sent a smile towards Ryan, barely having a chance to acknowledge him before turning back to Chad. "You should probably get in there. It's your turn to get your hand squeezed."

"How far apart are the contractions?" Chad asked.

"About two minutes or so." Gabriella answered. "And three centimeters dilated."

"I have no idea what that means." Chad shook his head.

"It means you get in there!" Gabriella replied.

"Got it." Chad nodded quickly. He gently let CJ down, "I'm gonna go in and check on your mom. You stay out here with Ryan and Aunt Gabriella."

"Can't I come in too?" CJ whined.

"You can come in when the baby's born." Chad promised. He kissed CJ's head, and then rushed back into the delivery room. The first chance Chad got, he held onto Taylor's hand, though just to feel it squeezed hard. Biting his tongue, Chad managed to ask, "How are you holding up?"

"Oh, just great. I'm lying here on the beach drinking apple cider and working on my tan." Taylor answered sarcastically. "How do you think I feel? Get this baby out of me!"

"I can't. I'm not a wizard." Had responded.

"Then put on a hat, grab a wand, and then get this baby out of me!" Taylor insisted.

Chad yelped lightly as he felt her squeeze his hand even harder. "Doc when can we get this baby out of her?" he asked quickly.

"If she keeps dilating this fast, we'll be ready in no time." The doctor replied watching the screen. He then turned to the parents, "Will anyone else be joining you in here?"

"Her sister's on her way. Our son and everyone else will be waiting outside." Chad said.

"Do they have the diaper bag with them?" the doctor inquired, having not seen it in the room.

Chad cured himself in his head. When Taylor had called him at work asking to take her to the hospital a few hours ago, they had both assumed it was Braxton hicks contractions and a false alarm of going into labor. And once they'd been told the baby could arrive any time between the afternoon and sometime the next day, by then they'd completely forgotten about needing to get the diaper bag. "Could you go out and tell someone to get the bag for us? I'm kinda stuck here." Chad asked the doctor.

Telling one of the nurses to keep an eye on them, the doctor exited the delivery room. "Apparently they need someone to run and get them the diaper bag."

"I'll take care of it." Gabriella said grabbing her jacket and car keys. She pointed to Ryan, "If Troy comes or anything happens, you or CJ call me."

"I don't have your number." Ryan replied.

"CJ knows it, just give him your cell phone." Gabriella said.

"But aren't you gonna need a key to get into their house?" Ryan wondered.

"I know where they keep the spare one. I'll be back as soon as possible." Gabriella replied before rushing out.

Amberly raised an eyebrow and looked at CJ. "Your daddy's not too smart, is he?"

"Well…" CJ twiddled his thumbs, "Mama usually tolded me she gots the brains and he gots the funny-ness."

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"Out of my way!" Tonicka demanded less than an hour later as she burst through the doors and made it into the delivery room with little effort. Running over to the bed, she wrapped her arms around Taylor. "How's my baby sister feeling?"

"hurt and impatient." Taylor complained.

"Oooh, someone's cranky." Tonicka teased playfully. "You were not like this with CJ."

"That's because he wanted out much quicker than this one." Taylor argued.

"It'll be over soon." Chad promised. "Do you wanna try laying on your side or something?"

"I just want this baby out." Taylor insisted with a groan.

"You're almost dilated enough to start pushing." The doctor observed. "Can you last until then, or do you want an epidural?"

Tonicka stood up and pointed at the doctor, giving him an evil glare. "If you wanna live to deliver this baby, I suggest you give her that epidural."

"I'll get the nurse right on that." He responded quickly. He ran over to the nurse and told her what to do. Nodding, the nurse proceeded to inject Taylor with the epidural which would ease her labor pains.

"How long have you guys been here?" Tonicka asked as Taylor calmed down.

Chad glanced at the clock, "I guess three hours or so." He turned back to his sister-in-law, "Did anyone else come yet?"

"I don't know, I'm not in charge of keeping an eye on your friends." Tonicka responded.

"Can you at least check on CJ and see if Gabriella got our diaper bag?" Taylor asked.

"Of course, Tay." Tonicka nodded, heading to the doors. She walked out of the delivery room, coming face to face with numerous anxious looks. "No baby yet." She announced. "Gabriella did you get the diaper bag?"

Gabriella nodded and held it up. "Got it ten minutes ago. Troy's picking up Charity and they're coming straight here."

CJ held his arms out to Tonicka, wanting to be picked up. "Can I see Mommy and Daddy?"

"You really should wait until the baby's here." Tonicka replied, picking him up.

"But I wanna see em." CJ complained.

Tonicka sighed. After all how could she deny her own nephew? "Just two minutes. Then you're coming back out here and waiting. And if you're a good boy when this is over, I'll buy you a big cookie."

"Yay cookie!" CJ cheered as Tonicka carried him inside. "Hi mommy, daddy." He waved to them.

"Hey little guy. What are you doing in here?" Chad asked, taking him from Tonicka.

"I wantsted to see you. It's boring waiting outside." CJ said.

"It won't be much longer now." Chad said. He lay CJ down beside Taylor for the moment.

"How you feelin Mommy?" CJ asked.

"Tired." She smiled lightly. "But I'm sure you are, too, with all the waiting.

"Where's the baby come out?" CJ asked.

"From my belly." Taylor answered. "That's where the stork put it."

"But how does the stork…?" CJ started to ask, only to be interrupted by Chad.

"You know, we really don't need to talk about that right now." Chad said quickly. "Ask again in about fifteen years."

"But that's so far away." CJ sighed.

"And it'll be worth the wait." Taylor told him. "But thank you for coming in to check on us. We love you so much." She kissed his cheek.

Chad rubbed his head, "And the next time you come in here you'll be a big brother. Now how about you go and keep everyone company?"

"Ok." CJ nodded, letting Tonicka carry him outside.

As Taylor and Chad watched him go, they couldn't help but feel a bit of relief. The past few weeks leading up to the birth hadn't been nerve-wrecking or stressful, but rather the past few hours that had drove them crazy. There had almost come a point when they thought they weren't ready for a second child, and that things were happening too fast. Yet looking at CJ and seeing how much they loved each other and how supportive he was through everything gave them a new sense of confidence. Taylor had done an amazing job raising him and Chad had stepped up and developed a bond with him so quickly after returning home for good. And even though their living relatives were minimal, their friends consisted of such a strong support staff.

The pain had dissolved quickly once the epidural fully kicked in and the room seemed so much calmer. So it was a bit surprising that in another short amount of time, Taylor was ready to push. The doctor talked her through it as he got her ready and instructed Chad and Tonicka to hold her legs. With each breath, counting from one to ten, time seemed to pass much more slowly and Taylor found herself running short on breath with every push. And keeping her focus on one thing in the room wasn't helping as much as she thought it would. Although the doctor suggested doing a c-section, Taylor was against the idea and kept on pushing.

"I think I can start to see the head." Tonicka said, leaning over in the slightest bit to try to see.

"That's it, keep going just like that." The doctor encouraged her. "Would you like a mirror to see this?"

"No…I just want it out…" Taylor answered in between breaths.

"Don't worry Tay, you're doing great." Chad told her. "Keep pushing."

With every push and every breath, it seemed uncertain as to when the baby would be coming out. Although Chad was a little queasy to look, Tonicka, having already been with Taylor through CJ's birth, wasn't as afraid to keep an eye out along with the doctor. "I think the head keeps coming out and going in." she said. "Chad you should see this."

"I'll look when the baby is all out." Chad promised, keeping most of his attention on his wife.

"I can tell someone to bring in a camera and film this…" Tonicka suggested.

Chad and Taylor quickly protested, "No!" It was clear that both of them wanted this over with. They wanted their baby out and they wanted to have their family all together as soon as possible.

"Alright, we're going to try and have it out in the next few pushes. Give me some big ones, Taylor." The doctor said. "Count with me. One, two, three…"

Taylor nodded and counted quietly to ten with each push. Still it felt like every push wasn't bringing them much closer. Taylor forced herself to keep pushing, refusing to go with a c-section. It wasn't the best idea, but she knew the harder she worked at it the sooner they could experience the miracle of life. Although it was now the early evening, it felt like many more hours had passed by than really had. Finally, Taylor was instructed to give one more big push. And with the baby almost there, she gave another push. A few more hard pushes, a little screaming, and a lot of sweat later, the baby was born.

"It's a girl!" the doctor announced.

Tonicka leaped for joy and Chad happily cut the umbilical cord, luckily managing not to faint. As the doctor handed the baby to the nurses to get her cleaned up and wrap her in a blanket, Tonicka ran into the hallway to deliver the news which resulted in numerous happy screams, and Chad went right over to Taylor and kissed her, whispering what a great job she did and how much he loved her.

"You did such a great job. You were amazing." He kissed her softly. "I love you Tay."

Taylor smiled and could only giggle lightly after everything, "I am not having any more babies."

"Anything you say. Done." Chad promised.

"How would you like to say hello to your new baby?" the nurse asked with a smile, gently handing the little pink bundle to Taylor.

Taylor smiled as she held the baby in her arms, resting the little head against her chest. She and Chad watched as the little bundle quickly fell asleep, happily cuddled up to her mother.

"She's so little." Chad cooed, lightly stroking the baby's head.

"So adorable," Tonicka grinned, "kinda makes me wanna get knocked up on purpose."

"Don't even think about it, not until you're married." Taylor warned giggling.

"Yeah, and don't set a bad example in front of our kid." Chad added.

"Speaking of kids, you should get CJ." Taylor reminded him.

"I'll give you guys some privacy." Tonicka gave in, leaving before either of them could say anything.

Chad smiled and kissed Taylor's cheek, then their baby's head. "I'll be right back." He shortly followed Tonicka out and walked over to a delighted CJ. "Come on, buddy. There's someone who wants to meet you." He picked CJ up and carried him into the room. He watched as CJ's eyes widened at the sight, then gently sat him on the bed next to Taylor. "Meet your sister."

"Ooooh…" CJ replied in awe as he watched the sleeping baby. "Baby." He held his finger and softly poked her, only resulting in the baby's mouth surrounding his finger. "I think she's eating my pointer…" he stammered.

"No, sweetie, she's sucking it." Taylor smiled. "Just like she'd suck a pacifier."

CJ laughed a little. "It kinda tickles." He looked up at Taylor, "Can I hold her?"

"Put your hand under her head and lay her on your lap." Taylor instructed, careful in the way she handed her to CJ.

"She's really light." CJ stated once he had a grasp of her.

"Babies usually are pretty light." Chad said. "I think I heard the doctor say she was five or six pounds."

"When does we take her home?" CJ asked.

"Probably in a day or two." Taylor said. "Why don't you let Daddy hold her a little after your turn?"

CJ nodded and tried to hand her to Chad by himself, though Chad got a hold of her pretty quickly. "What's her name?" CJ asked.

"We haven't even talked about names yet." Taylor admitted. "I mean, we have, but we never decided on anything."

"I kind of did." Chad confessed as he rocked the baby a little. "I was thinking since CJ's named after me, maybe she could be named after you."

Taylor's eyes widened for a moment, not too sure how to react to that. "Chad, I don't know…. It's not common for a girl to be named a junior."

"Well then we could spell her name differently." Chad suggested.

"That's a sweet idea," Taylor admitted, "but even so we can't do that. I want her to have her own identity. Like CJ does. His name may be Chad Jr but he's not. He's CJ.

Chad thought for a moment and nodded. "Well then what if we gave her a name that sounds similar to yours? Like Tayla?"

CJ scrunched his nose. "Kinda sounds more like a funny flower."

Taylor nodded in agreement, "And it does sound too much like Taylor." She held her arms out and Chad gave her the baby.

"Well then…what about Taylin?" he asked. "And we can give her your middle name."

Taylor shook her head. "I hate my middle name. I'm not punishing her at only twenty minutes old."

"Really? But Anabelle's such a nice name." Chad said.

"No it's not. It sounds like a cow trying to be a reindeer." CJ replied.

"Thank you." Taylor said, agreeing with CJ. "Not to mention it sounds like an overly cutie, girlie name."

"Ok, clearly I'm outnumbered." Chad gave in. "What about Arabella? Or Isabelle or Isabella?"

"Is the first one even a real name?" CJ asked, confused.

"And Isabelle sounds too plain." Taylor added. "I like Isabella."

"Sounds like she's got her name." Chad smiled.

"Knock, knock." Troy said quietly, poking his head into the room. "Is it our turn to see the baby yet?"

"Oh alright." Chad chuckled. "You guys are so impatient."

"Don't worry, we won't all come in at once." Gabriella promised, following Troy in and closing the door behind her. "Ryan can wait his turn and Tonicka can come back in any time she wants…after she's done flirting with the doctor."

"No surprise there." Taylor laughed. "Where's Charity?"

"She started playing with CJ's friend and then they both fell asleep." Gabriella said.

Troy glanced over Chad's shoulder at the baby. "Dude are you sure you made her?" he teased. "She looks a lot more like Taylor."

"Hey remember, I helped make CJ and I don't need a picture to know he was just as cute as her." Chad laughed.

"I thought the stork made babies?" CJ replied.

"It's not fifteen years yet, you still have to wait." Chad answered.

"The stork? Really?" Troy whispered to Chad.

"Hey it was either the stork or tadpoles." Chad whispered back. "Which do you think is easier to explain?"

"So did you guys pick out a name yet?" Gabriella wondered, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"We did." Taylor nodded with a smile. She looked up at Chad.

"Her name's Taylin. Taylin Isabella." Chad smiled.

"Way to go with the unique name." Troy nodded.

"I think it's cute." Gabriella smiled. "It sounds like Taylor."

"Daddy nameded her after Mommy." CJ smiled.

"Aw, who's a secret hopeless romantic?" Troy chuckled, patting Chad's back.

Chad rolled his eyes and smiled. "Hey, I think it's perfect." He wrapped his arms around Taylor and added, "I think my whole family's perfect."

"You know what else is perfect?" Gabriella asked. She reached into the diaper bag and pulled out CJ's baby book. "There's still an empty slot left, right next to the picture of the three of you at the park. I think a new family photo would be the perfect way to finish off this book and start a new one."

"I love the idea." Taylor smiled.

Gabriella got off the bed and backed up a little, pulling out her camera to try and get a shot at a good angle. "Scootch in real close."

Chad sat down on the bed beside Taylor, smiling and wrapping an arm around her. CJ crawled over Taylor's legs and onto Chad's lap. Taylor then shifted Taylin to her other side, holding her close and the whole family sitting in a tight yet incredible comfortable space. And all with a smile, the picture was taken and quickly placed into the baby book.

They say that when one door closes another one opens, and when one chapter ends another begins. Every day and every experience is a different chapter in someone's life. But with the closing of one chapter, room is always left for a happy ending and a new chapter full of adventures. It's not just an unknown experience to the reader what's going to happen next, but to the writer as well. And with a hard and eventful chapter long behind them, with more challenges and hard times ahead to match, there will always be a new page leading to the end of the rainbow. And although this chapter ends one story, for this family it's just the beginning of a new one.

* * *

And that's all she wrote! I know it took me so long to get this chapter done. I blame it on homework, getting distracted really easily, being lazy, and cutting one of my fingers with an x-acto knife during class a few weeks ago which made it really hard to type with that finger at first. o_0 Long story. Anyway, I thought this turned out to be a pretty long chapter and hopefully it ended as well as I thought it would. I had the name and gender and everything planned out long ago, it was just a matter of how to play it all out. One of the review did ask if Amberly and some of CJ's classmates would be related to certain HSM characters. Honestly when I added Evans to Amberly's name, I just thought it sounded good. But apparently it made for a nice little twist for a moment here in this chapter. XD Anyway once again I'm sorry it took so long to actually type this chapter and get it up. I hope the wait was worth it for everyone. ^^ Also, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed this story and took the time to read it and deal with my lazines. XD And I have to say, with 103 reviews as of this writing, I'm really happy how it turned out, and especially with a couple of chapter how I was able to go into more detail in my stories than I'm used to and if I'm lucky that'll be of decent help in the future. ^^

And now to thank everyone officially who reviewed this story: **chaylorfan4eve1995, Drama Queen And You Know It, , rockyshadow, MermaidRam85, Ice94cj, chaylorxtraylorlover, melako17, traylorlove, lilmissmonique, inkisexpen, Erieaud, HeArTxbRoKeNxCB Lover xD, , bam, omg, & The Sway Wannabe**

Thank you again everyone! Keep on reading Chaylor and keep that love going! I have one more week of school and then finals, and I've got everything set up for the HSM version of the Princess and the Frog! So if I have too much homework or get distracted more or anything in the next two weeks, then I should be fortunate enough to get the first chapter going as soon as finals are done. For everyone else in school, good luck finishing the year! For people who are done with school and working, you're a bunch of lucky people! And for everyone where the weather is warm enough to actually feel like summer and isn't all spastic deciding whether it wants to be warm or cold, happy summer! Good night everyone! ^_^


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